What's it like to be a practicing health professional in the bush? Mental health, self-care and loving life as a health professional in rural Australia

In this episode, Chantal provides advice for health professionals on how not to burn out; and then (at about the 10min mark for those who want to skip my don't burn out advice for health professionals and get straight to the good stuff!) has a great chat with two highly regarded mental health professionals who have lived and worked in rural Australia for a couple of decades. Enjoy!

Guest profiles:

Home - Rural Sky Goondiwindi
Rural Sky is situated in the heart of Goondiwindi, by the banks of the MacIntyre River, on Queensland’s Darling Downs.
We are a private practice of mental health professionals, delivering services to the people in our favourite part of the world, in the place we call home.
We are committed to excellence and pride ourselves on providing exceptional and confidential professional services in a warm and positive environment. Our team of highly skilled and experienced clinicians deliver psychological therapy to clients of all ages across the spectrum of emotional and behavioural difficulties. We provide services to individuals, couples, families and even organisations.
Rural Sky also offers keynote presentations for events, along with workshops, psychometric testing and coaching to individuals and businesses with a desire to realise their potential and experience lasting success.
Fundamental to our practice is that we live in the community that we serve. We understand what it means to live in a rural town. We understand distance, drought and flooding rains, small-town intricacies, local issues and services. We understand you!

KATHERINE JOHNSTONE
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About Kath: Katherine Johnstone is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and co-founder of Rural Sky, a private practice based in Goondiwindi, Queensland. With over a decade of experience, Kath works with people across all stages of life—from young children to older adults—supporting them through life’s challenges, whether big, small, or somewhere in between.Rooted in a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach, Kath’s work is centred around helping people make sense of what they’re going through, reconnect with what matters to them, and move forward with confidence. She believes deeply in the power of rural communities and is passionate about ensuring mental health support is not only accessible, but also practical, respectful, and real.Outside of work, Kath enjoys exploring Australia and overseas, spending time with her family, and soaking up the simple joys of rural life—where the stars are brighter, the conversations deeper, and the work genuinely meaningful.

SUZIE COLLINS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST

About Suz: Suzie is passionate about supporting people, of all ages, to build resilience and overcome barriers that make life difficult.  Suzie draws upon a range of evidence based therapeutic models and specifically Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR, EMDRAA Accredited Practitioner), Internal Family Systems (IFS, IFSI Level 1 trained), Gottman Method for Couples (Level 3 trained), Motivational Interviewing (Relapse Prevention) and TheraPlay (Level 1 trained).  She is also trained in Triple P Parenting (group), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Suzie uses a trauma informed and non-pathologising framework for therapy.

Suzie’s 10+ years, of experience has provided her with the opportunity to work with a range of mental health presentations (e.g. trauma, addition, behavioural concerns, relationship difficulties, depression, anxiety, grief etc).  She has a particular interest in working with those who

Introducing the Rural Psychologist Podcast