Philosophy & Vision
I specialise in helping clients who feel unable to control the present because of trauma and other adversity. I take time to know the entire of you, what is important, and what you need. I involve you in therapy so that we progress at a pace safe for you, and your feelings are taken seriously and honoured.
My counselling approach is evidence-based, though I am not simply informed by academia, but by lived experience ? perhaps similar to your experiences. I simplify therapy by guiding you through the process of choosing what actions will help you, in accessible language.
I work with clients across Australia via telephone and video conference, and in-person in Melbourne in my offices or via home visit. I keep my pricing affordable and offer discounts for holders of concession cards, Seniors' Cards, and student cards. I provide a free 15-minute introductory call to complete intake and become familiar with your goals.
Background
I have a history in counselling, social services, and disability services that has seen me work with a broad range of clients, including those facing severe illnesses and disadvantage, and from diverse cultures and backgrounds. I have found that regardless of whether or not we are alike, we can build rapport by connecting on a human level. I have helped instil hope not just because it sounds pleasant, but because I have my own history of mental illness and have experienced much of what my clients have experienced.
Services
Areas of Interest
Accreditations
- Bachelor of Psychological Sciences
- Graduate Diploma of Counselling
Modalities
ACT - Attachment Theory - CBT - DBT - Emotionally Focused Therapy - Existential - Motivational Interviewing - Person Centred - Reality Therapy - Schema Therapy - Strengths-Based - Systems Theory - Trauma-Informed
Professional Associations
- Australian Counselling Association
Practice Locations
2 Dixon Street
Clayton VIC 3168
Mornington VIC 3931
Fees & Insurance
Sixty-minute appointments.
• 15-minute introductory consultation: free
• Remote appointment, concession rate: $89
• In-person appointment, concession rate: $127
• Remote appointment, standard rate: $111
• In-person appointment, standard rate: $149
Payment Options
Concession pricing applies to holders of government-issued concession cards or student cards. Clients with self-managed or plan-managed National Disability Insurance Scheme (N.D.I.S.) funding may be able to pay for services via their plans.
Contact John
Please contact me to book a 15 minute free initial consult
A conversation with John Cuturilo
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For most of my life I faced mental health problems and was subjected to a variety of different therapeutic interventions. Too many of them were ineffective or even harmful. I realised that there were people whose experiences had been to greater detriment than my own. I decided that I wanted to make a difference and learn not just the academic evidence regarding psychology and therapy, but also from my own and others' experiences. My goal was to be versatile, understand each client's unique experiences beyond what knowledge alone could convey, and be truly safe and ethical.
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I could describe my interest as helping each person learn how to understand their own experiences and take action to work with challenges. In terms of domains, I have particular interests in trauma and relational issues as the mechanics of how these develop are also fundamental to other problems, hence the skills that clients develop in these domains are hugely beneficial in other domains of life. While I work with a range of clients, I have a particular interest in working with men and senior clients, as I believe that these groups are forgotten in the campaign for mental health.
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I treat different therapeutic approaches as tools. Once I have understood the client's needs and goals, I choose the theories that most plausibly explain the problem and are most likely to be appropriate and accessible for the client. In almost any case, I draw from person-centred therapy and motivational interviewing, structuring the therapeutic dialogue so that it is non-judgemental and empowers the client to learn their own problem-solving strategies. If a client's concerns involve trauma or are otherwise best explained by past events, we may draw on, for example, schema or attachment theories to conduct psycho-education. If a client is grieving, we may use more abstract existential exploration. In any case, my goal is to always help the client decide on specific actions which they can do regularly to address their challenges and goals.
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Learning to be a therapist has taught me much about not just mental health and solving problems, but how our minds work in the course of our regular lives. I have learned how complex the process of interpreting the world is, and how we often take what we consider to be "the truth" on a subject for granted. What we consider to be the truth is often distorted by the way that our minds process information, and learning this has led to my passion for critical but compassionate thought. I enjoy educating others to explore what exists in the world and how we may be interpreting it, and to be willing to ask questions of ourselves and to treat seeking answers as a journey.