Katie Stirling, DPsych

Certifications:

• Certified Gottman Couples Therapist
• Bringing Baby Home Educator
• Registered Circle of Security Parenting Facilitator
• Certificate IV Training and Assessment
• Certificate in Public Participation
• Certificate III in Public Safety (Community Safety)
• Certificate in Negotiation and Crisis Intervention
• Cross Cultural Awareness Train the Trainer
• Emergency Services Personal Support Training

Area of Focus:

• Relationships and Sexology: Katie assists couples facing various communication and connection challenges, those navigating significant
  life transitions like becoming empty nesters, and couple who have experienced traumatic events impacting their relationship.
• Parenthood Transition: Katie specializes in helping parents during the transition to parenthood. Her focus includes addressing changes in the dynamics of the relationship and addressing perinatal mental health concerns.
• Expat Couples: She provides guidance to expat couples dealing with the unique challenges of adapting to new cultures and communities, helping them strengthen their bonds amidst change.
• High-Performing Couples: Katie works with high-profile couples and those where one or both partners are leaders in their respective fields, such as athletes, entrepreneurs, actors, singers, and executives.
• Burnout Recovery: Her expertise extends to aiding health professionals and other couples who have experienced burnout, whether on an individual or relationship level.
• Diverse Backgrounds: Katie is dedicated to working with people from all walks of life, including LGBTQIA+ communities, culturally and linguistically diverse individuals, First Nations people, and those with various abilities.

Education:

Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), Deakin University
Bachelor or Science (Honours) Psychology, University of Southern Queensland
Graduate Diploma of Psychological Studies, University of Southern Queensland
Bachelor of Business Management (Majors in International Business and Marketing),
University of Queensland

Katie’s Recent Articles

Professional Background

Dr Katie Stirling, an accomplished Clinical Psychologist and Certified Gottman Couples Therapist, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to her practice. With a background that includes leadership roles in the not-for-profit sector, and a thriving psychology practice on Australia’s picturesque Mornington Peninsula, Katie now embraces a more tranquil lifestyle hosting couple retreats in the idyllic setting of Bali, Indonesia.

Katie’s passion lies in preventive and early intervention approaches, recognizing the intricate connection between individual mental health and couple relationships. Katie believes that every couple should have access to the tools and resources they need to create the life and relationship they desire. To this end, she has created an innovative range of online tools, empowering people to conveniently access support wherever and whenever they need it!

Katie’s career is shaped by her dedication to continual growth and staying at the forefront of the field. Undertaking extensive training in various individual and couples therapy approaches, including schema couples therapy and emotion-focussed couples therapy. Her unwavering commitment to remaining up-to-date with the latest research and treatment methodologies has led her to travel the globe to train with renowned experts such as Drs John and Julie Gottman, earning her certification as a Certified Gottman Couples Therapist.

With a profound focus on strong attachment and relationship, Katie’s academic background includes an honours thesis that delves into the distinctions between child-mother and child-father attachment, and a doctoral thesis identifying key relational and environmental factors to prevent depression. She has honed her expertise through specialised training including perinatal mental health, the Bringing Baby Home program, and Circle of Security.

Katie works with a small number of couples one-on-one each year, providing bespoke relationship solutions to high performing couples around the world. Additionally, she curates a handful of exclusive couples retreats in the breathtaking setting of Bali. These retreats seamlessly blend luxurious
experiences with evidence-based tools designed to enrich connection and enhance relationship communication.

While Katie dedicates her clinical practice to working closely with a select number of couples each year, she fundamentally believes that everyone should have access to the resources and opportunities for self-realization. She maintains with a commitment to change, anything is possible. Her extensive experience delivering individual therapy and couples therapy is distilled into a series of online masterclasses and bootcamps, making her insights and tools widely accessible.

Katie generously shares valuable tools and information on Instagram and frequently features on podcasts and media, disseminating evidence-based knowledge that has the power to transform relationships and individual well-being.