Jason Vella Psychologist

"I try to practise from a position of shared humanity, humour, and humility. I’ve a healthy respect for using modern, evidence based psychological practices. I love nothing more than simple language in my sessions and practical improvement goals that will make a meaningful difference in the lives of my clients as soon as possible. I believe psychology needn’t be mystifying and want my clients to leave each session with a firm idea of what they are achieving by attending. I love working with people who are at the coalface of difficult and unwelcome change, anyone who needs structured support to pick themselves up and keep going, as well as those lucky enough to have the opportunity to lean back, give themselves some space and ask, “What the hell is all of this about?”. The lived experience I bring to bear draws upon a lifetime of wonder, questions, and interest in why people do the things they do. I am the kid who never grew out of asking “But Why?”, one more time. I am an avid gamer, reader, and movie goer. I enjoy life as a middle-aged, kinda-scene facing gay guy with connections to the kink and queer community. I come from a background studying religion and psychology, hoping that science can tell us what is going on within and around us, but understanding that the strength to keep it going on often relies on finding meaning in life that is more than facts and figures. Meaning and purpose are at the centre of my practise as a psychologist, but then they are at the centre of being a person, I suppose. My career has offered me the opportunity to work in everything from clinical service delivery, to governance, to national business management. Workplace health, corporate responsibility, and ethical leadership were central to me in those roles. These days I’m more interested in walking a healthy journey one on one with the community and people around me."