Hello and welcome. I’m Dan Gaffney. 

Billy Joel said, “we all have a face that we hide away forever, and we take them out and show ourselves, when everyone has gone.” I quote him because I believe the healing one seeks in therapy can only begin by revealing one’s private self to another. It’s a place that’s earned, slowly but surely, when client and therapist tell the truth to each other. Doing so is the heart of the therapeutic relationship; one that is built on trust and vulnerability. And so, I’m committed to creating a genuine therapeutic relationship with you built on respect, safety, and mutual honesty. Everything we do will be collaborative.

I take a ‘human-centred approach’ that draws on a range of cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT) that help to recognise unhelpful thought and behaviour patterns. It’s based on the idea that one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are connected and affect each other. CBT informs many useful approaches. These include Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy.  Together, these are effective for people with a range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, personality disorders, intrusive thoughts, post-traumatic stress, sleep issues, and addictive behaviours.
Also, I think it’s valuable for a client to develop an awareness of his/her/their repeating cycles of experience. Sitting still long enough reveals what’s happening while it’s happening. In this experience of oneself, there’s abundance. Making peace, nurturing, letting, letting go, integrating. 

My relevant training includes an MA in Psychology, a Grad Dip in Counselling, a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a Graduate Diploma in Adult Education. Outside of counselling, I’m a father and grandfather, an author and podcaster, a palliative care support volunteer, and a men’s group facilitator. 

 I live on Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains and have endless bush trails to walk.