Keir Mathews (he/him)

I have always been drawn to work that centres on people and community. My early career was spent in community settings, including Alcohol and Other Drugs (AoD) rehabilitation, disability care and housing and homelessness services.

I returned to university as a mature-age student, and I completed my Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) at RMIT and Griffith University. I did my research placement at Tandem Mental Health Carer’s Support Network and my clinical placement at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

Since graduating in 2013, I have worked across a range of clinical and mental health settings, including:

• Cabrini Health - general hospital role predominantly on the geriatric ward, supporting patients transitioning to aged care

• NorthWestern Mental Health - case management and senior clinician roles on the Crisis Assessment Team (CATT) and Substance Use and Mental Illness Treatment Team

• The Royal Melbourne Hospital - teaching roles at the Mental Health Training and Development unit, developing and delivering training for clinical staff (portfolios included Dual Diagnosis and Motivational Interviewing)

I take a holistic approach to therapy - considering not only emotional and psychological wellbeing, but also social context, support networks, physical health, and a sense of meaning and connection within family, community and society. For some people, this may also include spiritual dimensions such as religious beliefs or a broader sense of purpose.

Alongside private practice, I currently work part-time, supporting young people at Headspace.

Outside of work, I enjoy time with my family, gardening, bushwalking, and I love getting out of town whenever I can.