Daniel Ortega

‘he/him’ 

Psychologist, psychotherapist, and counsellor. 

Available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & monthly Saturdays.

 

Qualifications

  • Member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) 

  • Bachelor in Psychology, Universidad Diego Portales. 

  • Master of Mental Health, Major in Psychotherapy, University of Queensland. 

  • Graduate Certificate in Post Rationalist Psychotherapy, IPRA Chile. 

  • Certified Circle of Security facilitator. 

  • Certified Parents Under Pressure Clinician.

fees and payment

  • Initial consult $215

  • Subsequent session $195

  • No Medicare rebate available

  • Daniel is a registered and trained Psychologist in Chile, however is not yet registered as a Psychologist in Australia therefore cannot provide a Medicare rebate. Daniel can however, provide a Private Health rebate if you are with Bupa, AHM, Medibank or ARHG.

Hi, I am Daniel. 

I have been a psychologist for almost a decade, but my journey with psychotherapy begun far before that. I have experienced feeling lost and struggled to feel hopeful, especially during my teenage years. It was through my own therapeutic process that I found hope, healing, and a path to self-growth, but I also fell in love with psychotherapy along the way. I learnt there that there is enormous strength in being vulnerable within a safe space, and immense courage in beginning a therapeutic process.  

My therapeutic style focuses on building relational safety. I like to think of myself as a welcoming, approachable, and caring therapist. I am always mindful that creating a safe space can look quite differently for many people, as we look for different cues for safety depending on our own life experiences. I have found that being accepting, transparent and patient are helpful foundations to build trust with the people I work with. 

I also approach the therapeutic space with great curiosity. I see every person as a world of unique experiences so vast, rich, and complex that I always find myself wondering at and about their internal worlds and life stories. I strongly believe that everyone knows themselves up to a point and we all have blind spots that sometimes, require our attention and care. I find that my focus here is to gently explore these areas -whether emotional, relational, psychological, or circumstantial with my clients to foster a sense of discovery.   

I describe my therapeutic style as person-centred, and I utilise trauma-informed principles, a strengths-based approach, unconditional positive regard, and kindness and compassion with every person I work with.   

I have worked with a wide variety of people from all kinds of cultural and social backgrounds: People who are diverse in gender, culture, language, and family structures. People who have or are experiencing a wide range of challenges and are at different points in their journey. Recently, I have had the privilege to work alongside First Nations parents and children who, to this day, still must fight for their rights to be respected.

I have also been lucky to be around many strong women who have shown me the effects that patriarchy have in everyone’s everyday lives whilst helping me understand how I can use my own privilege to be of service towards gender equality. I have also worked with people who have experienced trauma, recent and distant. All these experiences have further shown me how important each person’s individual world is, because no matter how big the issue, it is always experienced by someone.

I speak Spanish and English and, since I was born in Chile, I am a culturally and linguistically diverse person which has allowed me to experience a displaced sense of belonging. This has led me to develop an enhanced sense of empathy for anyone who is still looking for that place where they belong whether it be a country, a group of people, a relationship, a stage in their lives, or within themselves. 

My areas of interest include: 

  • Anxiety

  • Depression 

  • Relationships 

  • Identity and self-esteem 

  • Grief and loss 

  • Life stage transitions and adjustments 

  • Trauma 

In my life outside the therapeutic work, I like spending time on my other passions: music and art. I have been a drummer for over 20 years now and I have recorded three albums. I also enjoy doing art, mostly digital illustration, and graphic design.  

I often find myself sharing quality time with my partner and friends. We enjoy spending time outdoors, having picnics by the river and having people over for dinner, board-games and a good chat.