Dr Petra Becker

Dr Petra Becker
Counselling Psychologist

AHPRA, APS, FCCOUNP, ACBS, ACP

Dr Petra Becker is a Counselling Psychologist with over 20 years of experience in private practice and extensive training in a wide range of therapeutic approaches.

Petra’s treatment approach is based on recognising the strengths and resources of clients at all levels of psychological functioning. She works collaboratively with her clients to ascertain what they want out of life and provides strategies and assistance to achieve their goals. Petra uses a humanistic treatment model that views emotions as centrally important in human functioning and therapeutic change. Her focus is broad and includes all aspects of a client’s life including work and home life. This approach allows her to focus on ways to assist the client to feel better about themselves and to strive for a meaningful and fulfilling life. Petra will recommend positive and healthy self-management strategies as well as provide a space for reflection, insights and change. The appeal of working in this way is that it maximises effectiveness across a range of clinical conditions in both brief or long-term therapy.

Therapuetic Training

Psychodynamic Therapy

This type of therapy increases a client’s self awareness and understanding of the influence of past on present behaviour. This approach includes art therapy, gestalt therapy, psychodrama and hypnotherapy which tap into the unconscious, where there is no concept of time.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT focuses on current problematic thoughts and behaviours; providing strategies and techniques to change an individual’s maladaptive responses to specific situations which can alleviate psychological distress and psychological disorders.

Humanistic Therapy

This type of therapy helps an individual develop a stronger and healthier sense of self so they can reach their full potential. For example, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a mindfully oriented behavioural therapy that uses an eclectic and humanistic approach to help people accept and move on from negative xperiences.

Integrative Psychotherapy

The use of multiple different therapies provides greater insight and problem solving than a single therapeutic approach.

Psychoeducation and skills training

Provides education and raining in assertiveness, emotion (anger and anxiety)management/regulation, psychological flexibility, resilience, emotional intelligence, polyvagal theory, relational frame theory, self compassion, pain management, distress tolerance, mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness and relaxation.

Specialist Training

Chairwork Psychotherapy Certification Training:

Chairwork is an experiential method of psychotherapy that has its roots in psychodrama and Gestalt therapy. It is based on the belief that it is healing and transformative to facilitate expression of our inner voices or different parts of ourselves.

‘Forced Adoption’ Education and Training

Neurodivergent (i.e. ADHD, ASD)

Neurodiversity affirming practice and affirming language.

ADHD informed practice in psychology.

Trauma informed treatment for neurodivergent clients.

Certificate of Bereavement Counselling Practice:

Skills in grief therapy to address all types of grief including complicated grief reactions and disenfranchised grief, or other types of losses including coming to terms with death, loss of a pet, loss of a working life or breakdown of a significant relationship.

Certificate IV in Companion Animal Services

Practical and theoretical Behaviour training and handling, animal enrichment and health management.

Training of psychiatric therapy dogs supporting. Work with clients and their companion/assistance dogs.

With prior approval, clients may bring their own dog to sessions on the basis that they can provide additional therapeutic value.

Certificate in Equine Assisted Learning (Finland)

Equine assisted Psychotherapy (Australia); Horse Assisted Education for Managers & Leaders (Germany)

Provides models for a variety of leadership styles, insights into emotion regulation and management, and emotional connection. It highlights the value of experiential therapies, especially when incorporating animals on a therapeutic level to help improve a client’s self image, empathy, stress tolerance, impulse control and assertiveness as opposed to aggression.