Andrew Mottram

Clinical Psychologist
Bachelor of Psychology, Graduate Diploma in Psychology and Master of Clinical Psychology

Pronouns: He/him

Three beliefs that colour the way I work with my clients:

I believe…

That one of the most important things we can do is to make sure we’re truly living, by prioritising our mental wellbeing, our values, and our sense of connection to
others.

I believe…

That connection and understanding are powerful antidotes to feeling apart, alone, or ashamed.

I believe…

That if a problem is easy to solve then we tend to do that ourselves. For everything else, it’s worth seeking support.

Get to know me

My secret talent:
Patience – with others, yes, but often with myself!

What’s it like to be in a room with me?
Both personally and professionally, my approach is to be open-minded, collaborative,
and empathic. I aim for anyone I work with to feel supported and understood without
judgement, including when treatment may call for a more direct or challenging
approach.

My sessions are conversational and reflective, shaped by my background as a
mentalization-based (MBT) practitioner, supervisor and trainer. This approach can open
up new perspectives and support meaningful changes in my client’s lives. My style as a
therapist is flexible and responsive, and I often incorporate tools from other therapies
such as ACT and CBT wherever helpful. I normally conclude most sessions with a
couple of concepts to take away and experiment with between sessions.

What’s my non-negotiable when it comes to taking care of my own mental health?
I often find that mental wellbeing is not that different to physical wellbeing. It’s
important to keep an eye on it, make space in our lives for it, and use variety and
creativity to prioritise it in different ways from time to time.

My life motto:
A ship in harbour is safe – but that’s not what ships are built for.

My background and experience

I was awarded my Master of Clinical Psychology in Canberra in 2010, and for most of my career I’ve been working with diverse clinical presentations in different parts of the NSW and Victorian public mental health systems. I was originally trained as a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist before becoming an Acceptance and Commitment Therapist for a number of years, and have also spent time as a Dialectical Behaviour Therapist along the way.

Since 2016 I’ve been a senior clinical psychologist specialising in the treatment of borderline personality disorder and complex PTSD. This work has focused on supporting clients who experience strong negative emotions, low self-worth and confidence, relationship difficulties, and challenges with communication or impulsivity often stemming from their difficult early life experiences. My main therapeutic approach since 2016 has been Mentalization-Based Treatment, a conversational and psychodynamic approach which is helpful for a broad variety of personal and interpersonal difficulties.

I am an LGBTQIA+ aware and affirmative clinician.

melbourne psychologists

I can help you with:

  • Adjustments to stressful life changes
  • Attachment difficulties and disorders
  • Bipolar
  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Carer support
  • Communication skills
  • Complex PTSD
  • Dissociation
  • Distress intolerance
  • Emotional difficulties including depression, all types of anxiety, and anger management
  • Identity issues
  • Impulse control
  • Internet and game addiction
  • Job or study dissatisfaction
  • Men’s mental health
  • Panic attacks
  • Past and recent trauma, including complex trauma
  • Personality disorders
  • Phobias
  • Psychosomatic illness
  • Relationship difficulties or interpersonal difficulties
  • Self-development
  • Self-esteem
  • Sexual assault
  • Stress and burnout
  • Support for abusive relationships
  • Wellbeing and self-care

My therapeutic approaches

Depending on my client’s needs and preferences I use a variety of evidence-based approaches including:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Attachment theory
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
  • Exposure therapy
  • Mentalization-based treatment (MBT)
  • Mindfulness
  • Psychodynamic approaches
  • Strengths-based and compassion-based approaches
  • Trauma informed care