Mr Michael Dods
Clinical Psychologist, Psychodynamic Psychotherapist
Holon Psychology
Northcote, Melbourne VIC 3070
In Person + Telehealth
Philosophy & Vision
I like to work in a collaborative relationship as opposed to a top down approach. I have trained in Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and continue to train, receive supervision and do my own therapy using this approach. I've also trained in MDMA assisted therapy through MAPS. I believe we co-create our relationships and I like to help people see the unconscious patterns that contribute to their suffering and the ways in which they can relate differently to themselves and others.
Background
I've worked in healthcare for 12 years. I previously worked in physical health in the areas of elite sport and chronic/persistent pain. As a psychologist I have worked in tertiary mental health in a regional setting, primary mental health in a rural setting, private hospital in-patient setting for rehab with a focus on a mindfulness-based single session approach to complex pain. I now work in private practice and enjoy working with a wide range of people and presentations.
Services
Meaningful psychological change takes time. I am committed to developing a relationship with my patients that aims to understand them and their experience. As such, the type, style or combination of approaches I use varies depending on the person in front of me and their needs.
Quality Provision
I work hard to be present, focused and listen deeply to all my patients.
Areas of Special Interest
Accreditations
- Master of Psychology (Clinical) - 2020 - Deakin University
Modalities
ACT - Attachment Theory - CBT - Internal Family Systems - ISTDP - Mindfulness - Person Centred - Psychodynamic - Somatic Psychotherapy - Systems Theory - Trauma-Informed
Therapy Approach
To help people know themselves more fully and in doing so, become more whole and live life more freely on their terms. I work relationally using multiple approaches informed by psychodynamic psychotherapy. I have trained and continue to train in Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) and have previous introductory training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), Schema Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Hakomi and recently completed the MDMA assisted therapy training with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Science (MAPS) run in collaboration with the Monash Clinical Psychedelic Lab.
Professional Associations
- Australian Psychological Society
Practice Locations
2A Elm Street
Northcote VIC 3070
On street parking is available at North Fitzroy.
Prahran has both on street and paid underground car parking available.
Appointments
I work Tuesday to Friday with hours varying between 8am and 5pm.
Fees & Insurance
Sessions are 50 minutes and are $98.15 out of pocket after Medicare rebates of $141.85 (Session cost of $240). There are ten Medicare rebateable sessions available each calendar year.
Payment Options
I use Halaxy, so can process credit card payments and rebates through that system.
I can take in-session EFTPOS payment.
I also accept Bitcoin.
Contact Michael
Please contact me to make an appointment
A conversation with Michael Dods
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I've spent lot's of time with people from all walks of life and backgrounds and am an inherently curious person who tries to understand people and human relationships. I've always been a big reader and enjoyed reading authors that understand the complexity of people and the human experience.
I previously worked in physical health and found that the origins of people's physical suffering was often more complex than initially appeared. This lead me to want to understand people and human suffering at a deeper and more complex level. -
I draw from an eclectic mix having always enjoyed reading authors who explore psychology and the human condition: William Blake, Martin Luther King Jnr, Ursula Le Guin, Thomas Moore, Robert Moore, John O'Donohue, David Whyte, Dante, Dostoevsky, Heller, Steinbeck, Bulgakov, Atwood, Fowles, Vonnegut, Joseph Campbell, Arthur Miller, Solzhenitsyn, Thic Nhat Hahn, Gabor Mate, Rollo May, Carl Rogers, Carl Jung and Jungians including Robert Johnson and Marie-Louise Van Franz.
Treatment wise, currently practicing therapists I look up to include Nancy McWilliams, Jonathan Shedler, Jon Frederickson, Richard Schwartz and Allan Abbas as well as my supervisors Dr David Spektor and Julie Cochrane.
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I am interested in human relationships and the barriers to human relationships. I am interested perceiving and moving towards understanding of people as complex beings in complex relationships with other complex beings in complex environments.
I am interested in how we co-create our reality and how we can lessen our suffering and that of our fellow (wo)man. -
ISTDP
IFS
Emotion Focused Therapy
Relational focused
Somatic Therapy
ACT
Hakomi
Mindfulness-based CBT -
I feel that most clients should walk away from an initial session with some insight into their suffering.
However, Jonathan Shedler's research article on the "Tyranny of Time" in psychotherapy indicates that meaningful psychological change takes regular sessions over a sixth month period. -
Self acceptance.
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Learning.
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As I am bald the answer could be always or never or both.
But, in a less literal sense. Absolutely as I am human.
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Disconnection. Polarisation.
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Non-Fiction: John O'Donohue - Anam Cara
Fiction: Jack London - Martin Eden
Film: To Kill A Mockingbird
Song: Peter Green - I've Got A Mind To Give Up Living
Art: The Naked Studio - Brett Whiteley