Dr. Jason Wessel
phone: 0499 085 561
Jason is a supportive and pragmatic Psychologist who started his career seeing WorkCover clients as a Rehabilitation Counsellor in 2011.
His work with enthusiastic but 'stuck' clients in the WorkCover system inspired his PhD on the personal and systemic barriers to progress.
Jason took a long and winding road to becoming a psychologist, with diverse experince across retail, labouring, working in sleep laboratories “wiring people up to electrodes”, suicide counselling, rehabilitation, government, data analytics, product development, corporate consulting, and most importantly, psychology. He has worked in and around most of Australia’s biggest industries, giving him significant perspective and insight into the range of challenges faced in returning to work.
Jason listens intently for themes and connections in a person’s story and reflects insights from new and novel perspectives. He loves people, and is energised by seeing others thrive. Where needed, Jason draws on his considerable knowledge of human cognition to help clients make sense of what’s happening ‘under the hood’, and experiment with ways to constructively redirect thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, rather than fighting them directly.
Blending Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Psychoeducation with core strategies from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Schema Therapy, Jason can help adults and adolescents with anxiety, depression, sleep, purpose, motivation, weight-loss, career challenges, stress, setting boundaries, and work-life balance.
A proud high-school dropout and reformed adrenaline-junkie, Jason practices what he preaches by directing energy to constructive situations that challenge personal growth (e.g., going back to school as an adult for almost a decade). In addition to private practice, Jason has also developed an app called Contemplate which aims to reduce weight-loss procrastination through daily micro-doses of reflection.
Jason has published papers in world-class journals, with his research on procrastination featured by the ABC, BBC, Brisbane Times, and 4ZZZ.
Jason lives in South GC with his wife, son, and cat, and loves reading, rock-climbing and road trips.
Jason is relaxed, insightful, and has a natural curiosity that will quickly make you feel at ease.
We acknowledge and pay respects to the people of the Yugambeh language region of the Gold Coast and all their descendants both past and present. We also acknowledge the many Aboriginal people from other regions as well as Torres Strait and South Sea Islander people who now live in the local area and have made important contributions to the community.