People have suggested to me that an important reason to my success as a psychotherapist is that I did a lot of living before becoming one. Born in Australia to European parents, I moved right around the world and back again; studied digital systems engineering; founded an IT business; sold it and founded a new venture; fell in love with bicycle racing; started a family; sold the new company; got divorced; started a third business, remarried, changed careers…

This is all history; in another life. Yet it is not. Because when my psychotherapy clients share their stories, there is so much that I can personally relate to. I know what it’s like to be an outsider, both in Australia and overseas. What it’s like to work 80-hour weeks. To manage a dozen staff members. Eat and exercise to get that edge. Deliver within minutes of a hard project deadline. Give everything you’ve got on the track. Be responsible for supporting and raising a family

Much of this was once incredibly painful to me. Now this pain has turned into insights that I use every day – in my professional as well as personal life.

Something entirely different I brought right across from my years in IT: as a digital engineer, I learned how to focus on minute features whilst still being mindful of how they fit into the big picture. The value of this might not be as apparent to my clients, but combining strong attention to detail with systems-based thinking is incredibly helpful to a psychotherapist. It gives you the ability to pick up on the significance of little details without losing sight of the holistic context. That is how a good conversation can change you fundamentally. Because right there, in between the lines, is the story of lifetime.

Within each moment is a microcosm of your entire reality.