Jonathan Fahey BSc. (Hons), MSW
Cultivating Change
Experiencing Yourself and Your Life Differently
Medicare Provider #5722334F
Cultivating Change
Many people who contact me already have insight into their difficulties. They often understand why they struggle, yet find themselves repeating the same patterns. My focus is helping people move beyond understanding their struggles to experiencing themselves, their nervous system responses, their memories, and their urges in a different way.
Therapy Can Be Both Relief and Discovery
Some people come to therapy seeking relief from a specific problem. Others come wanting to understand why they continue to struggle despite their best efforts. Therapy can support both aims.
At times our work may focus on helping you sleep better, manage anxiety/depression, navigate cravings, or respond differently to challenging situations. At other times, we may explore the deeper patterns within your nervous system and protective parts that shape how you relate to yourself, your past experiences, and the future your mind anticipates.
Whether the focus is immediate symptom relief or longer-term change, my goal is to help you develop greater understanding, flexibility, and choice in responding to life's challenges.
Addiction and Compulsive Behaviours
I have a particular interest in supporting people experiencing addiction, problematic substance use, compulsive behaviours, and recurring patterns of coping that no longer align with the life they want to live.
How I Work
My approach combines practical skills with experiential therapies that help create change at an emotional, behavioural, and nervous system level.
Through experiential approaches including Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, mindfulness, self-compassion, guided imagery, and other evidence-informed therapies, therapy becomes more than a conversation about change; It becomes an opportunity to practise new ways of relating to yourself and your experiences.
Together, we develop practical skills that help people build a different relationship with cravings, emotional pain, difficult experiences from the past, and the protective stories, predictions, and warnings the mind generates about the future. We also explore how these experiences are influenced by a nervous system that has adapted to threat, stress, and emotional pain, creating greater awareness, flexibility, and choice in responding to life's challenges.
Getting Started
If you are interested in understanding how I may assist you, have questions, or would like to send me referral information, feel free to email me at admin@jftherapy.com.au or SMS/call on 0489 222 803. I will return your message.
If you are experiencing any of the following, or would like support in navigating life's challenges, therapy may be helpful:
- Anxiety, depression, or persistent low mood
- Stress, burnout, overwhelm, anger, or frustration
- Difficulty getting to sleep or returning to sleep
- Addiction, cravings, or concerns about alcohol, drug use, or compulsive behaviours (such as gambling, pornography, shopping, or eating)
- Trauma-related difficulties, including nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, or feeling frozen and shut down
- Rebuilding your life following separation, divorce, or relationship breakdown
- Recovering from sexual abuse, physical abuse, or other adverse experiences
- Trauma associated with medical treatment, illness, or hospitalisation
- Trauma associated with accidents or injuries
- Seeking support to reduce, withdraw from, or live without medication
- Coping with chronic illness, chronic pain, fatigue, or physical health challenges
- Feeling stuck despite previous therapy experiences
- Specific fears or phobias (for example, flying)
- Grief, loss, and adjustment to significant life changes
- Difficulty leaving home, visiting busy places, or attending social events
- Feeling triggered, disconnected, unmotivated, or off track
- Seeking a confidential and non-judgemental space to talk
- Intense anger, rage, or emotional reactivity
- Wanting to better understand yourself, your nervous system, and the patterns that shape your life
About Me
I am an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with the Australian Association of Social Workers and have been working as a mental health therapist since 2015.
I completed a Clinical Master of Social Work at Saint Louis University in Missouri, USA, and have worked across juvenile and adult correctional services, community mental health, addiction treatment services, and private practice.
These experiences have reinforced my belief that lasting change often comes not simply from talking about our experiences, but from experiencing them differently. In therapy, I use experiential approaches that help people develop a different relationship with their emotions, cravings, triggers, compulsions, memories of the past, and concerns about the future.
My training includes:
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 1
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and Relapse Prevention (MBRP)
- Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM)
Treatment Provided
- Therapy Sessions - I provide in-person, video conference, or telephone-based therapy of 50 min or 75 min in length. A longer session can assist trauma and addiction processing.
- Guide Practice Call - In recognition of how we best learn and change (through daily repetition), I offer a 10-minute Guided Practice Call. Calls are at a pre-arranged time, during which time you will be guided in a therapeutic practice of your choice (ie, urge surfing/self-compassion/relaxation). This is only for clients who have attended at least one 50-minute session. There is no minimum number of calls that you need to purchase, so feel free to simply purchase one.
- Mental Health, Addiction, Trauma, Reduce Stress presentations - please contact me for details.
Fees and Administration
- $190 per 50-minute Therapy Session - Medicare rebate available
- $280 per 75-minute Therapy Session (generally reserved for trauma or addiction/compulsion processing)- Medicare rebate available
- $40 per 10-minute Guided Practice Call - must be pre-purchased, no Medicare rebate for this treatment.
- Clients referred to the service via Open Arms and WorkSafe Victoria have their costs covered by these organisations.
- Confidentially: Please note that what you share in session is confidential; it is not shared with anyone without your permission and direction as to what can be shared.
- Cancellation Policy: If you cancel/reschedule more than 48 hours before the start of the session, there is no fee. After that, you will be charged the full fee for the session. Note: Medicare/Work Safe does not pay for cancellation/rescheduling fees. To assist you, I send reminder emails and SMS reminders one week and 72 hours before the session.
Resources
Below is a collection of resources that you may find interesting/helpful.
1. Self Compassion Practice. A YouTube link to a Self-Compassion Practice which is the opposite to self-criticism.
2. Urge Surfing - A PDF that provides a great description of the practice of Urge Surfing, useful for people seeking to change how they respond to urges, cravings or compulsions
3. Relaxation and Support Audio Recordings. This is a link to my Google Drive that contains short audio recording that I made to assist people to Relax their nervous system and provide inner Support. This will give you a good idea of how I work with people.
5. Article discussing being blended vs unblended with parts of personality.
6. Courage - Guided Meditation