Hennessy Clinical Psychology

Hennessy Clinical Psychology Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, NDIS, DVA.

MPsych (Clin), BPsych (Hons I), MAPS FCCLP
David has worked in a range of mental health and physical health settings, including inpatient acute psychiatric and psychiatric residential rehabilitation, acute medical health psychology and physical rehabilitation, community mental health case management, and private practice. David also spent eight years with Lifeline across counselling, supervision, and training roles. David has worked in a range of mental health and physical health settings, including: inpatient acute psychiatric and psychiatric residential rehabilitation, acute medical health psychology and physical rehabilitation, community mental health case management, and private practice. David is experienced in working psychotherapeutically to assist clients experiencing:

Complex adult mental health presentations
Schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder​
Adjustment to physical/medical health issues​
Persistent pain
Trauma and complex trauma
Mood and anxiety disorders
Phobias
Obsessions and/or compulsions
Substance use and addiction
Grief and loss

06/03/2026

What Does OCD Feel Like?
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

OCD is often misunderstood.

It is not simply about being tidy or careful.

For many people, it feels like a thought that will not settle. A doubt that will not resolve. An urge to check, repeat, or mentally review until anxiety drops.

Intrusive thoughts can happen to anyone. In obsessive compulsive disorder, the meaning attached to those thoughts drives distress and repetitive behaviour.

Common experiences include:

• Persistent doubt
• Fear of responsibility
• Reassurance seeking
• Mental reviewing
• Difficulty tolerating uncertainty

Understanding these patterns can help people decide whether professional assessment may be useful.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/what-does-ocd-feel-like-2/

05/03/2026

Be Like the Birds
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

Be like the birds. They rest, connect, move, and stay close to what sustains them.

In psychology we often return to simple behavioural foundations. Time outdoors. A brief conversation. Regular movement. These everyday actions support emotional regulation, reduce stress, and strengthen wellbeing over time.

Research consistently shows that nature exposure, social connection, and physical activity support mental health across the lifespan. These are not dramatic interventions. They are simple practices that accumulate benefits when repeated consistently.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further: [place link to the mother web post here].

04/03/2026

What Does Social Anxiety Feel Like?
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

Social anxiety is often described as “just nerves.” In reality, it can feel much stronger than that.

Many people experience:

• A racing heart before speaking
• Blushing or sweating in conversations
• Feeling intensely self-conscious
• Replaying conversations later that night
• Avoiding situations they actually value

It is not simply shyness. It is a heightened threat response linked to fear of negative evaluation.

Importantly, this post is educational. It explains common experiences, but it is not diagnostic. A structured clinical assessment is required to determine whether diagnostic criteria are met.

If avoidance is shaping your work, relationships, or daily life, structured psychological support can help.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/what-does-social-anxiety-feel-like/

03/03/2026

GAD Therapy in Varsity Lakes

By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

Persistent worry can quietly shape daily life. You may look capable on the outside, yet internally feel constantly on edge. Generalised Anxiety Disorder is more than stress. It involves ongoing, difficult-to-control worry that affects sleep, focus, and confidence.

Importantly, effective therapy does not aim to eliminate anxiety completely. Instead, it helps you respond differently to worry. Over time, this shift reduces the intensity and frequency of anxious spirals.

Evidence-based GAD therapy may include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, exposure to uncertainty, and nervous system regulation strategies. When applied consistently, these approaches can meaningfully improve quality of life.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/gad-therapy-varsity-lakes/

02/03/2026

Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast QLD
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

OCD is more than being particular or organised. It often involves intrusive thoughts that feel distressing or out of character, followed by repetitive behaviours aimed at reducing anxiety.

While these rituals may provide temporary relief, they usually strengthen the anxiety cycle over time. Fortunately, evidence-based therapy can help interrupt that pattern.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with Exposure and Response Prevention remains the gold standard treatment. With structured, gradual practice, many people learn to reduce compulsions and increase confidence in handling uncertainty.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/therapy-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-varsity-lakes/

01/03/2026

Therapy For Social Anxiety In Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, Queensland
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

Social anxiety often hides in capable people.

It can look like over-preparing for meetings, avoiding speaking up, replaying conversations afterwards, or quietly stepping away from opportunities. Over time, avoidance can shape work, relationships, and confidence.

Evidence-based therapy for social anxiety focuses on practical change. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and exposure approaches are strongly supported in research. Therapy helps retrain threat predictions, reduce safety behaviours, and build confidence through structured, gradual steps.

Change is rarely dramatic. Instead, it is steady and cumulative. The aim is not to remove all anxiety. The aim is to increase participation in life.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/therapy-for-social-anxiety-varsity-lakes-gold-coast/

27/02/2026

Create a Path and Practice Stick-to-itiveness
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD.

Many people wait to feel motivated before they act. In practice, motivation often follows action rather than precedes it.

When you clarify what truly matters in areas such as health, relationships, work, and creativity, you begin to create a path. When you then translate those values into small, scheduled behaviours, you practise stick-to-itiveness.

Over time, returning to those chosen actions, even when mood shifts or energy dips, strengthens resilience and psychological flexibility. It is not about being rigid. It is about being steady.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/create-a-path-and-practice-stick-to-itiveness/

26/02/2026

Me Time Improves Work Time
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

It is easy to believe that productivity improves when we push harder. In practice, sustainable performance depends on recovery just as much as effort.

When we allow time for rest, reflection, or simple recreation, the nervous system settles. Attention sharpens. Emotional responses steady. Decision-making improves. Over time, this rhythm of effort and recovery supports both wellbeing and effectiveness.

Short walks, proper meals, stepping outside for fresh air, or consciously marking the end of the workday are not luxuries. They are practical habits that protect energy and reduce burnout risk.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia

The easiest way to make an appointment is online:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/me-time-improves-work-time/

25/02/2026

Psychological Benefits of Simplicity
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

We humans tend to make things complicated. Whether it is work, relationships, or our own thoughts, complexity can quietly increase stress and mental fatigue.

Psychological research shows that reducing cognitive load supports clearer thinking, steadier emotions, and more deliberate decisions. When we simplify what we are focusing on, we give the nervous system a chance to settle.

Simple practices such as breathing intentionally, noticing thoughts without chasing them, feeling your feet on the ground, or taking one small step aligned with your values can reduce overwhelm. These are not simplistic ideas. They are evidence based tools drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, behavioural activation, and mindfulness approaches.

Simplicity does not remove life’s complexity. It helps us respond to it more effectively.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/psychological-benefits-of-simplicity/

24/02/2026

The Psychology of Fun
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

Fun is often treated as optional in adulthood. Something we will get to after work is finished, after responsibilities settle, after life becomes less busy.

Yet research tells a different story.

Playfulness supports emotional regulation, social connection, nervous system balance, and psychological flexibility. Positive emotion broadens attention and builds long term psychological resources. Leisure engagement is strongly associated with improved wellbeing and reduced stress.

In therapy, I often see that people have not lost the capacity for fun. It has simply been crowded out by pressure, productivity, and self expectation.

Reintroducing small, repeatable enjoyable activities can gently shift mood, widen perspective, and restore energy. This is not about forced positivity. It is about restoring balance.

Fun is not childish. It is psychologically protective.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/the-psychology-of-fun/

23/02/2026

The Power Of Doing Nothing
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

Often, the best way to move forward is to stop. At times, the most productive thing we can do is nothing. Not permanently, just temporarily. To pause. To breathe. To allow space for recalibration.

Rest is not something we earn once everything is finished. It is part of balanced and sustainable functioning. When we pause intentionally, our thinking clears, our emotional responses steady, and our nervous system begins to settle.

In clinical practice, I often see that people do not need more effort. They need recovery. They need space between demands. Even brief pauses can restore perspective and cognitive flexibility.

If you are feeling fatigued, it may not be that you need to try harder. You may need to stop. Just for a while.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/power-of-doing-nothing/

22/02/2026

The Stories We Carry and Their Ongoing Impact on the Nervous System
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD

The story you tell yourself each day shapes more than your mood. It influences your breathing, muscle tension, sleep, energy, and sense of safety.

When life feels heavy, the nervous system often shifts into protection mode. Over time, repeated thoughts of threat, pressure, or self-criticism can become the background setting. However, small intentional actions can gradually rebalance that pattern.

Evidence-based psychology shows that pleasant and meaningful activity helps regulate mood and strengthen resilience. A short walk. A conversation with someone safe. Time in nature. Completing one practical task. These are not trivial. They are signals of safety to the nervous system.

The aim is not to deny stress. Rather, it is to widen the story so it includes agency, values, and steady progress.

Local therapy in Varsity Lakes
Telehealth available anywhere in Australia
The easiest way to make an appointment is online: https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/

Read further:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/narratives-and-nervous-system-meaningful-activity/

Address

155 Varsity Parade
Varsity Lakes, QLD
4227

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 7am - 5pm
Thursday 7am - 5pm
Friday 7am - 5pm

Telephone

+61414277596

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