20 MAY 2006 - Alumni Retreat

Dr Ben Teoh (2004-now)

Dr Ben Teoh is a medical graduate of the University of NSW. He is a Consultant Psychiatrist and a Physician in Addiction Medicine. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physician, Chapter on Addiction Medicine. He completed a Masters Degree in Psychotherapy from the University of NSW and wrote a thesis on the psychotherapy of depression.

Dr Teoh has special interests in Mood / Anxiety Disorders and Alcohol / Substance Addiction. He has been a Consultant in a Mood Disorders Unit for more than 15 years, and he is a Member of the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal. He is actively involved in forensic issues and mental health.

Dr Teoh is the Director of Clinical Services and Medical Superintendent, South Pacific Private.

Brad Mills (1999 - now)

Brad Mills Has been with the SPP family for 7 years as both a Primary Group Therapist and more recently, as the Relapse Prevention Day Program Facilitator.

Brad also runs a successful private practice in Leichhardt.

Dr Brian Gutkin (1995 - now)

Dr Brian Gutkin was born in Dublin, Ireland and graduated in medicine at Trinity College, Dublin in 1973. He graduated as Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Psychiatrists in 1984 and has advanced training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. He is also a member of the Australian College of Psychotherapists and is the Director of Psychiatry at South Pacific Private where he has worked for 12 years whilst running a private practice in psychotherapy and psychiatry at St Leonards.

Dr Gutkin specialises in the treatment of anxiety, depression, substance and alcohol abuse and in the use of psychotherapy for the underlying trauma and abuse as a means of self transformation.

Brian Ninetti (2005 - now)

Brian holds a Diploma in Counselling and an Advanced Certificate in Gestalt Therapy. Brian has practiced in a variety of settings for a number of years including Health, Agency and Private Practice. Brian's special interests are Gestalt Therapy and Mindfulness in the treatment of addictions and mood disorders. Recovery, he believes, is only possible when actually supported by the client's environment. Brian defines his role as a therapist in facilitating change by helping to create such an environment. Change happens as a result of helping clients become aware of and ultimately accepting of what ‘is', while encouraging new life-giving behaviours in response to previously overwhelming feelings."

Jackie Furey (1994 - 1997)

Jackie Furey, CM CAPA Bsc. Jackie Furey is a Psycho-therapist and executive coach based in Chatswood NSW Australia. Jackie is the principal of Bedrooms to Boardrooms –an organisation which supports people in developing their work/life balance. She travels internationally and nationally delivering presentations, facilitating workshops and conducting individual and group consultations.

Jackie is passionate about people being empowered to choose what kind of life they want and believes her time as a therapist at SPP helped nurture this passion. She has been interviewed and featured on television shows, given numerous radio interviews and is sought for comment by various lifestyle magazines and newspapers. Jackie is currently hosting her own show called ‘From Bedrooms to Boardrooms – chat with Jack on love, life and work', Sunday nights at 10pm on Mix 106.5.

Lorraine Wood, Director & Co-founder

Lorraine Wood is the Director, and, with her late husband Bill, Co-founder of South Pacific Private. The Woods personal journey's of recovery had taken them to The Meadows in Arizona. Where they discovered a place to enrich, nurture and heal. This experience so profoundly affect their lives and those of their family that Lorraine and Bill were inspired to establish a similar program here in Australia. In 1993 the Woods opened the doors of SPP and today Lorraine continues to lecture clients and to inspire all with her commitment, strength and great heart.

Nancy Leadbeatter (1996 - now)

Nancy joined the SPP Clinical team in 1996 and over the years has taken on most of the clinical roles, including 6 years as a Primary Therapist. Today in her role as Changes therapist and as a private practitioner, Nancy draws on her training and skills in mediation, psychodrama, Gestalt techniques, Focusing and Family Constellations.

Learning to teach the Co-dependency model in SPP's Changes program, Nancy says, changed her life. She sees this Model as a simple but powerful way for clients to gain an understanding of themselves and their relationships enabling them to move forward with greater clarity and love of Self.

Nancy 's previous work includes personal growth coaching to both adults and high-school students at a leading Sydney girls school.

Sophie Lippell (1997 - 1999; 2005)

Sophie's profession as a Nutritionist in the developed into working with clients with Eating Disorders, both in England and also for two years in Rome, Italy. As a result of her work becoming more of a counselling type role, and through personal transformations Sophie chose to train at the London Centre for Psychotherapy and then the Institute of Group Analysis in London - both trainings are Freudian and psychoanalytic.

Sophie used this more conventional form of therapy training as a foundation to her studies that lead, over many years, in Europe, America and also Australia, in Gestalt Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Past Life & Spiritual Regression therapies and various couple & family therapy trainings.

Sophie has been as a psychotherapist for 17 years whose specialties include childhood abuse, relationship issues, addictions & depression. Sophie worked at SPP a as Primary Therapist and Changes I therapist for almost 2 years, and is still connected SPP through facilitating Changes II, whilst continuing her private practice in the Eastern Suburbs.

Steve Stokes (2004-now)

Steve has worked with adults and youth in the addiction and mental health fields for 18 years, working as a psychotherapist in residential rehabilitation centres (West Mount Rehabilitation Centre, Ted Noffs Palm East Program and Claffy Family Centre) and community organisations (WESDARC and SWAP).

As part of his private practice, which involved one on one therapy, as well as facilitating weekend retreats focusing on recovery issues, gender issues, relationships and spirituality, Steve has produced a three album series titled ‘Window to the Journey', which was available through retail outlets and performed in workshop settings. Steve has also appeared as a guest therapist on the Channel Ten Sex Life Program, as well as commentating on personal growth issues on radio and in print media.

Steve has a Bachelor of Arts in Welfare Studies from the University of Western Sydney and is currently pursuing his Masters in Human Resources at the Australian College of Applied Psychology

Tracey Hammett (1993 - now)

Tracey was born and raised in New Zealand. After travelling the world for some years in her early 20's she now calls Australia home. She has two children aged 14 and 10.

Her professional journey began with hospital based training in General and Obstetric Nursing in Auckland. At the age of 30 her personal journey into recovery took her to a treatment centre: “The Meadows” in Arizona, USA. The therapeutic process she experienced there was a profound and life changing experience. On her return to Australia she elected to complete further education and focus her career in the field of counselling.Since then Tracey has gained a Bachelor of Counselling from UNE and a Diploma in Contemporary Psychodrama.

As a family member she has been associated with South Pacific Private since it opened in 1993 in a variety of roles, while developing a busy private practice. Over the years she has facilitated groups for the Department of Corrective Services, has completed numerous professional trainings including Post Induction Training, and specialist trainings in grief and post-traumatic stress. She consults and lectures to a variety of different organisations. Her current role as a consultant at SPP is primarily in program development.