Myra Deighton, Associate
Myra's qualifications are a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Western Sydney, and a Bachelors Degree majoring in Psychology from Macquarie University. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology and qualifications in Applied Psychology.Myra has many years of counseling experience working as a psychologist in the public and education sector. In addition to private practice, Myra is Senior Counsellor at a TAFE counselling service, where she supervises and trains psychologists, counsels staff in regard to classroom management, and provides personal, educational and careers counselling. In her role as Senior TAFE Counsellor Myra has also developed and delivered numerous workshops, including workshops on stress management, assertiveness, communication, study skills, exam techniques, confidence and self esteem building, conflict resolution, and anger management.
Myra is skilled at working with individuals, couples and young people in a wide variety of areas, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, self esteem, stress management, eating disorders, intellectual/memory problems, and careers and vocational counselling.
In her work with anxiety, Myra has considerable experience working with adults and young people in treating a variety of anxiety related issues such as social anxiety, fear of public speaking, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks and panic disorder, specific phobias, generalized anxiety, and health anxiety. Myra has received specialist training and experience working with anxiety at the Westmead Hospital Anxiety Clinic, which is a leading Sydney-based anxiety treatment and research centre.
Myra also has experience in helping individuals in relation to: overcoming depression and mood difficulties; self-esteem; assertiveness and communication styles; performance and motivation; anger management; stress management; adjustment issues; work stress and performance; relationship issues; enhancing well-being, and life balance.
In her work with children and adolescents, Myra has worked with parenting difficulties, bullying and harassment, and sexual assault. Myra has also worked with young people in the areas of drug and alcohol issues and behavioural and emotional disorders.
Myra's therapeutic techniques are flexible, evidence based and tailored to meet the needs of each individual. She has had several years practice using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), and incorporates mindfulness techniques in her therapy. She has worked with clients from various multicultural and religious backgrounds and is respectful of the specific needs of each person she meets.
Myra is a dedicated, experienced and compassionate therapist, committed to providing a supportive environment in order to effectively assist individuals to overcome their difficulties.
Myra has participated in various areas of psychological research. In her Clinical Masters thesis, Myra examined the relationship between stress, anxiety and subjective coping styles utilizing a personality theory of motivation. She has also been involved in projects that focused on the demands of rapid change in the work environment, work satisfaction and performance, and how to achieve the best results from employees. Another research project focused on polydrug usage and changes in demographics of residents admitted to a residential therapeutic community in Sydney across a five-year span.
Myra is fully registered with the NSW Psychologists' Registration Board, and is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy, and she is accredited as a supervisor of psychologists with the NSW Psychologists' Registration Board.