If you have looked into therapy before, you have probably come across Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or perhaps Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. What you may not have come across is the Conversational Model, the approach I work with in my own practice. It is less widely known in Australia, but it has been quietly effective for decades, particularly for people who have found other approaches useful up to a point, but not quite enough.
Where the Conversational Model Comes From
The Conversational Model was developed by English psychiatrist Dr Robert Hobson and refined over many years by Australian psychiatrist Professor Russell Meares, working out of Westmead Hospital’s Psychotherapy Unit in Sydney. It grew out of close observation of real therapy sessions, listening carefully to what actually helped people feel more like themselves, rather than starting from a theory and applying it.
It is a psychodynamic, relational approach. In plain terms, that means the relationship between therapist and client is not just the setting for the work. It is the work.
What Makes It Different
Many therapy models are structured around programs, worksheets, or a set number of sessions with specific skills to learn along the way. The Conversational Model works differently:
- There is no fixed program or worksheet to work through
- Sessions unfold through conversation, at a pace that suits you
- The focus is on developing a stable, coherent sense of self, not just managing symptoms
- The therapeutic relationship itself is where change happens
- It tends to be longer-term, reflecting the fact that deep patterns take time to shift
This does not mean it is unstructured or directionless. It means the structure comes from attention and consistency, rather than from a set curriculum
Who the Conversational Model is for
- If you have completed a skills-based program, such as DBT, but something more still needs attention
- For those whose difficulties involve identity, relationships, or a fragmented sense of self, rather than one clear symptom to target
- People who have experienced early relational or developmental trauma
- Those who want a longer-term therapeutic relationship rather than a short, structured course
- If you have found it hard to trust or open up in previous therapy, and want something built slowly, at your own pace
Benefits
- A space to be understood, rather than assessed or diagnosed
- Support in making sense of patterns that have felt confusing or repetitive
- A steady, consistent relationship that itself becomes part of the change
- Room to work at your own pace, without pressure to ‘achieve’ progress
- A gradual return to feeling more like yourself, rather than quick symptom relief
- It is particularly effective for complex trauma, personality vulnerabilities, and chronic depression as it uses a supportive relationship to help balance and soothe overwhelming emotions.
How a Session Actually Works
There is no script and no set agenda you need to arrive with. We talk. I listen closely, not only to what is said, but to how it is said, and to what sits underneath it. Over time, this kind of attention helps bring together parts of a person’s experience that may have felt scattered, cut off, or hard to make sense of.
It can sound simple. In practice, it is a careful and deliberate way of working, one that has research behind it and decades of clinical use in Australia.
Is It Right for You?
The Conversational Model is not a replacement for every other approach, and it is not the right fit for everyone. It tends to suit people looking for depth and relationship over structure and speed. If you have tried shorter programs before and felt like something was still missing, it may be worth a conversation.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation if you would like to talk through whether this way of working suits what you are going through, in Bowral or online across Australia.
