About Ray

Founder of Third Chair Counselling

In 2023, I embarked on a Diploma of Counselling, after a year and a bit of learning life as a widower, and continuing to reflect on what it means to care for someone who lives with and eventually dies from dementia.

There’s a lot in that.

I launched Third Chair Counselling last year, and become a student of Logotherapy with Elisabeth Lukas Archiv Eliz https://elisabeth-lukas-archiv.de/en/

Here’s some more background on how I got here...

A man in a zip-up jacket and a woman in a light-colored sweater standing together inside a room with a lamp and two red candles in the background.

I met my wife, Gail, when we were nineteen years old. We were both studying for a bachelor’s degree in English and History.

A man holding a baby and a woman sitting next to them, outdoors with plants in the background.

We were both educators in the secondary school system for over forty-five years.

As a former secondary school principal with a PhD in educational change, my background is in teaching English, History, Literature, Indonesian and Philosophy - I was committed to teaching young people how to philosophise, think critically, and make ethical decisions. Gail was a passionate Philosophy, English, Literature and French teacher.

When our daughter Miranda was just over a year old, Gail and I worked as teachers at the United Nations International School (UNIS) in New York City. This was the most significant relocation during our professional careers, including moving to Hamilton in Victoria’s western district when I was appointed high school principal in 1990.

Woman smiling while holding a small curly-haired brown dog.

I’ve walked this path of dementia care myself. I cared for my wife as she lived with dementia, so I understand the challenges, the exhaustion, and the emotional toll.

Now, as a trained counsellor, I offer a compassionate space where you can talk, be heard, and find ways to cope.

You don’t have to do this alone.

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