Dr Mary Raftopoulos
Psychologist

My work as a psychologist and psychotherapist is inspired by an abiding interest in human beings and their life stories. Twenty years of clinical experience have been gained through working in Melbourne, London and Vancouver and spanning a range of settings which include: public health, education, the non-profit sector and private practice.  I teach workshops and present at conferences in Australia and internationally on providing treatment to children and families who have experienced interpersonal trauma. For 11 years, I worked as a Senior Psychologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital (Melbourne), specialising in the assessment and treatment of child abuse at the Gatehouse Centre. I now offer consultation to this program. These experiences, together with a PhD that has explored the intergenerational transmission of trauma in the families of those raised in Children’s Homes and Orphanages, has given me a deep appreciation of the heroic effort it takes to live alongside a troubled childhood history.

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I undertook training in Psychology, Sandplay Therapy and Play Therapy after completion of a degree in Law and studies in economics. Eventually, I became the first internationally Certified Sandplay Therapist/Teacher in Victoria and the only psychologist in Australia, registered as a practitioner and supervisor in: Psychology, (Jungian) Sandplay Therapy and Play Therapy. I am a founding member of STANZA - the Sandplay Therapy Association of New Zealand and Australia (www.stanza.asn.au). My work is informed by compassion, research and a commitment to ongoing learning. My research has been published in peer reviewed journals. 

I have found it a privilege to walk alongside a person's therapeutic process. My clients and my studies have taught me that, within each person there is an intrinsic wisdom and untapped internal resources that can cultivate one’s capacity to grow, learn and move towards living a more loving and authentic life. 

My approach to psychotherapy draws from the gifts offered by depth and analytical psychology, with a particular focus on the psychological principles of C.G. Jung and Dora Kalff,  the power of symbolism, the unconscious and the imagination in activating the healing process inherent in every person. Sandplay (used with children as well as with adults), narrative therapy, and a heart centred therapeutic relationship are some of the ways I help my clients access their deep reservoirs of strength and potential.