Our Therapists

Dr Justine Corry

Clinical Psychologist
BSocSc (Hons)
MSocSc
MPsychol(Clin)
PhD
Member: Australian Psychological Society (APS)
Member: APS Clinical College
Member: Australian Association for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Check out our podcasts where we talk about all things to do with schemas and breaking patterns!

I can help you to:

• learn all about your schemas and how to get unstuck from your self-defeating life patterns
• address your schemas to help you recover from depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder
• address your bipolar disorder using schema therapy
• address your obsessive-compulsive disorder using schema therapy
• overcome your abandonment schema and choose better relationships
• feel more confident dating and in your ability to choose a good long-term partner
• address your attachment style – whether anxious or avoidant
• improve your own relationship behaviours/choose better partners and take responsibility for what isn’t working 
• address your low self-esteem and lack of confidence 
• have better boundaries in your relationships, feel you can be more assertive and stop people-pleasing and self-sacrificing 
• address your childhood trauma so it doesn’t impact your life anymore
• learn to handle and transform difficult negative emotions such as anxiety, sadness, overwhelm and shame
• address your over-eating/binge-eating/comfort eating
• address toxic family dynamics, particularly arising from the impact of narcissism
• healing from narcissistic abuse
• address your own narcissism 
• understand and address estrangement from family members, particularly parents and children
• getting unstuck from difficult relationships – should you stay or go?
• navigate divorce peacefully and amicably with your children’s best interests at heart
• address substance use using schema therapy
• improve your parenting and prevent schema development in your children 

Mental health has been my passion for as long as I can remember. Few things in life are more important. My professional journey began over two decades ago, first as a researcher for the Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression (CRUfAD) and later for The Sydney Bipolar Disorders Clinic, School of Psychiatry, UNSW and The Black Dog Institute.  Early on in my career while I was completing my Clinical Masters at UNSW, I was lucky enough to be involved in a study that looked at the efficacy of treating Bipolar Disorder with schema therapy. It was my first introduction to schema therapy and I never looked back. It gave me a real appreciation for the role of underlying psychological vulnerabilities in driving depression, stress, anxiety and (hypo) manic symptoms. Black Dog Institute is also were I met Gemma, who shared a passion for approaching treatment of mental health conditions with a focus on addressing underlying psychological schemas. Together we set up The Good Mood Clinic in Bondi Junction with the aim of providing treatment using schema therapy rather than just a focus on short-term symptomatic relief.

I also completed my PhD with the School of Psychiatry at UNSW, an opportunity that allowed me to explore the complex relationship between Bipolar Disorder, anxiety and perfectionism. The insights gained from my research has enabled me to help people with this condition have a great sense of control and optimism about their Bipolar Disorder.

How would I describe my approach as a therapist?  Well …. I am understanding, non-judgmental and ever curious. In fact, I never stop searching for better ways to do things and better ways to help. My mind is always open. I’ve sometimes been described by local GPs as a straight talker, which I think is fair enough. I certainly like to get right to the heart of things with people I work with, to explore what’s not working in their lives and then help them take positive steps to do something about it.

While I’m a big advocate for schema therapy (the results I see with this approach really do speak for themselves), I also integrate other approaches. These include cognitive-behaviour therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, mindfulness, self-compassion and EMDR.  No two situations are ever alike. For me, it’s always about finding that very personal balance for each individual, so they can make real and sustainable changes in their life.