We're moving to Summer Hill. Our new Summer Hill rooms open soon. Until then, in-person appointments with Shadi continue at Canterbury, and Juliette and Pua are taking new clients via telehealth now.
Pua Johnston
Provisional psychologist
Pua understands that reaching out for support can take a great deal of courage, and that arriving at a first session often means carrying things you may never have said aloud before. Her hope is that from the moment you sit down, you have a space that feels unhurried, non-judgemental, and genuinely yours.
Her approach begins with creating a space where you can feel truly seen and understood, even if you don't yet have that same understanding or compassion for yourself. Many people arrive feeling frustrated with themselves, wondering why they can't simply think or behave differently. Pua holds a different view. She believes that all emotions are valid, and that the patterns and behaviours we most want to change usually began as ways of protecting us. They made sense once, even if they no longer serve you in the way they used to.
Understanding this is often the beginning of something shifting. When we can look at these parts of ourselves with curiosity rather than criticism, there is more room to move.
Pua works collaboratively with you to strengthen the part of you that can respond with compassion and understanding, that feels capable of working towards what matters to you, and that can grow in confidence in who you are. Over time, the aim is a greater sense of safety, both within yourself and in the world around you.
You don't need to arrive with the right words, a clear goal, or any particular readiness. Pua will meet you wherever you are.
Background & Expertise
Academic & Clinical Training
Tertiary Qualifications
Bachelor of Psychological Science and Counselling
Graduate Diploma of Psychology
Master of Professional Psychology
Specialised Clinical Training
Schema Therapy Training Levels 1, 2, and 3
Schema Therapy Masterclass: Working with the Detached Protector
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Certification Training
Radically Open DBT Level 1
Polyvagal Theory and Application to Clinical Practice
ACT Interventions for Anxiety-Based Issues
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Professional Experience
Pua brings over six years of clinical experience working with people across the lifespan, including five years as a registered counsellor before moving into her current role as a provisional psychologist. She has worked with people experiencing anxiety, depression, hypo/mania, addiction, trauma, intrusive thoughts and burnout, and is well-placed to support neurodivergent people navigating a world often designed around neurotypical expectations.
Treatment Philosophy
Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, Pua wants to understand what makes sense for you. Depending on your needs, your goals and what resonates with you, she takes an integrative approach, drawing on evidence-based therapies. She also facilitates group programs, which add shared learning, normalisation and peer support alongside skills training.
Specialisations
Pua works with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families, and facilitates group programs in DBT, ACT, CBT and trauma.
Mood and Anxiety
Anxiety · Depression · Hypomania and mania · Intrusive thoughts · Burnout
Trauma
Trauma · Trauma-informed group work
Neurodivergence
Neurodivergent adults navigating environments designed around neurotypical expectations
Other areas
Addiction, Work Cover Sira approved
Group Programs
Pua facilitates group programs in DBT, ACT, CBT and trauma, offering shared learning and peer support alongside skills training.
Supervision & Medicare
As a provisional psychologist, Pua practises under the supervision of a board-approved supervisor. Sessions with Pua aren't eligible for Medicare rebates, which is why her fees are lower.
Book a consultation
If you feel ready to take the next step, you can book a first session with Pua online. It is an unhurried conversation about what brings you here and how you might work together.
Rates & Availability
Standard clinical consultations are billed at $110 per session between 9am and 5pm.
After-hours consultations are billed at $130 per session after 5pm and on Saturdays.