Presenters

Meet our Presenters

At the Institute for Integrative Psychotherapies, we recognise that effective therapy requires a careful balance between evidence-based practice and meaningful human connection. Our team of Australian and international practitioners actively researches and applies the therapeutic methods they teach, ensuring our training remains current and practical. This approach enables us to deliver training that is relevant to contemporary therapeutic practice.

Australian Presenters

Dave Misso

Dave is an experienced counselling psychologist and researcher who integrates various therapeutic modalities in his approach, including narrative therapy, solution-focused therapy, systems theory, sensorimotor psychotherapy, and depth psychology. His collaborative research with Dr Giancarlo Dimaggio, Professor Robert Schweitzer and the late Professor Paul Lysaker has advanced the understanding of metacognitive strategies in clinical settings. His PhD through the Queensland University of Technology focused on developing a group psychotherapy intervention incorporating metacognition for men who use domestic violence. The program aims to reduce the incidence of domestic violence and promote broader engagement in safety discussions.

As a founder of the Institute for Integrative Psychotherapies, Dave leads initiatives in professional training, research, and collaboration with local and international experts in therapeutic innovation. His expertise spans organisational development, successfully leading strategic change projects and providing leadership development and executive coaching across diverse industries. Dave's therapeutic philosophy emphasises personal growth and the nuances of individual experience. He employs a humanistic approach that acknowledges the complexity of human behaviour. His work consistently reflects a commitment to fostering community safety and well-being through innovative therapeutic practices.

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Sigrid O'Callaghan

Sigrid is a clinical psychologist, psychodynamic psychotherapist and a Board-approved supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia. Sigrid is a teaching staff member with the Brisbane Centre of Psychoanalytic Studies and member of the teaching faculty with the Queensland Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Association and supervisor for the Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Registrar Program She has been working in private practice since 2007.

Prior to private practice, Sigrid worked in various rehabilitation and community health settings (Berlin, Sydney, Brisbane) with a wide range of people (children, adolescents, adults) presenting with complex mental health issues. Her roles encompassed the treatment of psychological difficulties as well as coordinating clinical programs and supervision for staff. She worked as an external supervisor for the Queensland University of Technology, Post Graduate Program for clinical psychology between 2007- 2020.

Qualifications and Affiliations

BA Hons Psych Bonn, Germany: equivalent to MA Clin Psych

MAPS CCLlN: Member of the Australian Psychology Society and its Clinical College

AHPRA PSY 000 140 2295: Registration with the Australian Health Provider Regulation Authority as Clinical Psychologist and Approved Supervisor

QPPA: Member of the Queensland Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Association due to the completion of its post-graduate training program, Member of the teaching faculty, https://www.qppa.com.au

BCPS: Brisbane Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies, Member of teaching staff, https://www.bcps.asn.au

Brisbane Consortium of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Supervisors, Member of the faculty, https://psychregistrar.com.au

Dr Rebecca Bargenquast

Rebecca is a psychodynamic therapist and clinical supervisor focused on treating complex mental health challenges and supporting parenting difficulties. She has worked across community, inpatient, and private practice environments, addressing issues such as psychosis, trauma, and self-harm. As a Board-approved supervisor, she has held significant roles at Queensland University of Technology and in health services in Queensland and NSW.

Rebecca prioritises empathy and compassion in all of her work and will collaborate with you to ensure treatment is tailored to your needs. She realises that reaching out for help can be challenging and hopes to provide you with a safe space to talk through your difficulties and hopes for the future, while helping you to reach your goals and live a life that is meaningful to you.

Rebecca is a psychodynamic therapist and has a special interest in long-term, in-depth psychotherapy, the treatment of complex mental health difficulties, and therapy for perinatal mental health issues and parent-infant attachment issues.

Rebecca's clinical work experience includes roles in community, inpatient, and private practice settings working with children, adolescents, and adults. She has worked with people experiencing a range of mental health difficulties including psychosis, depression, anxiety, and complex trauma.

Rebecca has previously worked as Clinical Services Coordinator at Queensland University of Technology and Western Sydney University, and Senior Psychologist in both Queensland Health and NSW Health services.

Current services include individual psychotherapy for adults and adolescents, therapy for perinatal and infant mental health, clinical supervision, and clinical workshops.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Training

Adj. Professor Robert Schweitzer - Course Convenor

Dr Rebecca Bargenquast

Dr Michael Edwards

Mr Aaron Neaves

International Presenters

Giancarlo Dimaggio

Giancarlo Dimaggio, MD, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, is a co-founding member of the Centre for Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy in Rome, Italy. His primary interest is in metacognitive processes and mental disorders. He has published four books, including the coauthored Metacognitive Interpersonal Therapy for Personality Disorders, and more than 120 papers in scientific journals.

Professor Duncan Cartwright

Professor Duncan Cartwright is a clinical psychologist and head of the Centre for Applied Psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He specialises in psychodynamic psychotherapy and has published notable works, including Murdering Minds and Containing States of Mind. He brings expertise in psychodynamic formulation and Bion's contributions to the field.

Degrees Held

Bachelor of Social Science (B.Soc.Sci. University of Natal, Durban, SA) Majors in psychology and anthropology (1989)
Honours Psychology (Hons.Psych.UND, Durban, SA) Dissertation: Application of Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’ in psycho-analytic psychotherapy (1990)
MA Clinical Psychology (M.A. Clin.Psych.University Durban-Westville, Durban, SA) Dissertation: Androgyny and the male midlife crisis (1992)
Ph.D. (Psycho-analytic Psychotherapy), 1995-2000.(Ph.D. Rhodes University, Grahamstown, SA) Dissertation: Latent Murderousness: An exploration of the quality and nature of object relations in rage-type murderers (2000)

Research Interests

Psychoanalysis, psychodynamic psychotherapy, psychotherapeutic skills, mentalisation, psychoanalytic research methods, violence.

International Professional Development Tours

Presenters

- Adj. Professor Robert Schweitzer

- Dave Misso, counselling psychologist PhD Candidate QUT Brisbane Australia

- Mercy H Nqandeka: PhD Candidate at Stellenbosch University.

- Renee Ramsden, clinical psychologist, Jungian analyst Cape Town, South Africa

- Denise Grobbelaar, clinical psychologist, Cape Town, South Africa

- Jeffrey Rink, clinical psychologist, eco psychologist, Cape Town, South Africa. www.ecopsychologyafrica.com

Join us to learn, share expertise, and collaborate

Collaborating with leading specialists and researchers from various therapeutic orientations enhances our program offerings and creates unique learning opportunities.