Welcome to Driftwood Counselling
Hi, I’m Ryan. I’m an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with over 17 years of experience working in mental health.
I draw on the latest evidence base as well as my own lived experience to deliver compassionate, effective and neuroaffirming therapy to individuals face to face or via telehealth.
My services can be accessed through Medicare, the NDIS or by private fee.
If you are a GP or other health professional please submit your referrals to
Explore our services
Mental Healthcare Plan
$50 Gap fee - 60 minute session
Face to Face or Telehealth
You can obtain up to 10 medicare subsidised sessions of therapy a year with a mental health care plan from your GP.
I currently charge a $50 gap fee for these sessions.
If this is not affordable I am able to offer a limited amount of bulk billed sessions, please enquire in regards to current availability.
NDIS Therapy
Billed hourly according to current price guide - Face to Face or Telehealth
I provide therapy sessions under the NDIS for eligible participants. I bill under the line item for therapeutic supports in capacity building supports.
If you have an NDIS plan please contact me and we can work out a plan and support agreement to meet your needs.
Private Sessions
$130 - 60 minute session (can be longer by arrangement) Face to Face or Telehealth
You can also access sessions by paying out of pocket.
Get to know me
I hold a Bachelor of Arts, with an extended major in Psychology from the University of Queensland and Masters in Social Work from Flinders University. I have undertaken specialised trainings in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and ADHD therapies.
I’ve worked in mental health since 2008 - beginning as a support worker and then as a case manager for numerous years. Since 2019 I have been providing therapy in a clinical setting at a local NGO - I started Driftwood Counselling in March 2025 following the birth of my son.
How would you describe your therapy style?
My therapy style is a combination of evidence based therapies and skills with lived experience and a sense of acceptance and common humanity. In an effort to reduce stigma I treat mental health as something that we all have to look after, just like our physical health.
When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your free time?
I’m a big beach guy, you’ll find me there most days walking with my family and 2 dogs, swimming, surfing, paddle boarding & being a beach bum. I also love gaming - usually single player RPGs on the PC and Switch as well as tabletop RPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons.
What are your specialities and areas of interest?
I have a lived experience of ADHD and specialise in working with others who also live with ADHD. I am also experienced and interested in working with people experiencing burnout, anxiety, stress, depression, loss and grief & trauma. As a man and a father I also have a keen interest in areas such as healthy masculinity and men’s mental health and coping with challenges that we face as we progress through different stages of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
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You might see “Mental Health Social Worker” and think, he’s a what now? I was told I need a psychologist. But in Australia several professions besides registered psychologists can become accredited to deliver psychological therapy. These include social workers, nurses and occupational therapists. Being an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker means that after my masters degree in Social Work I undertook a 2 year structured internship under the supervision of a senior psychologist and a consultant psychiatrist learning how to deliver psychological therapies. I then passed an exam set by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) to receive my accreditation. I must complete continual professional development and obtain regular supervision in order to maintain my accreditation.
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Currently I am accepting referrals for clients aged 13 years and older
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I currently work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Face to face clients can meet with me Wednesday in my space at Christies Beach. Tuesday and Friday are currently telehealth only. Typically appointments are available between from 9:30-5pm Adelaide time, however if you have time commitments that get in the way of this contact me and we can potentially work around it.
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The good news is that I offer my services via telehealth Australia wide! If you would like to meet up face to face then Wednesday in Christies Beach, SA.
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Therapy is an individual journey that takes a different amount of time for everyone. That being said I understand budgetary constraints and we can certainly discuss a plan to work towards your goals in a specific amount of sessions
Testimonials
“Just a quick note to say how impactful your help has been throughout this year for me- at times I was obvs feeling very overwhelmed and your work, effort and support made a great difference to how I got through the year.”
“Your insight, understanding, empathy and compassion are second to none and as you know, I left every session after having a 'light bulb' moment. Amazing!.”
“He is the first mental health clinician I have talked to that truly understands my mental state,situation, and nature. He also did not rush me like so many others had, and took the time to really try to understand what I was going through, before offering advice or a different perspective.”
Contact
Interested in working together? Awesome.
You can contact me via email or phone (call or text is okay) which are located at the bottom of the page, or fill out and send the contact form opposite and I’ll be in touch shortly.
From there we can arrange a free 10 minute video chat or phone call to see if it will be a good fit and sketch out what it is you’d like to work on.
For sessions we can meet face to face in my space on Beach road, Christies Beach, or via telehealth (video chat or phonecall) .
My current workdays are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.