The people behind Karuna.

David is a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and veteran whose path to medicine followed a career in Defence, including two deployments to Afghanistan. He holds a Master of Psychiatric Medicine, a PhD and a Master of Health Law, holds an academic appointment at the University of Sydney, and has published and presented widely on trauma-focused care and psychopharmacology. Among Australia's most clinically experienced specialists in medicine-assisted therapies, he is dedicated to veteran and first responder mental health.

Lani is a registered psychologist and social worker with over 15 years' experience across complex trauma, dissociation, disability and suicide prevention, including a long-standing commitment to the Deaf community through therapy in Auslan. A founding board member of AMAPP and an Associate Research Fellow at Swinburne University, she draws on somatic psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, EMDR and transpersonal approaches. With Melissa Warner she co-created the EMPATHS Integrative Somatic Assisted Psychotherapy (EISP) model for the somatic, relational and metacognitive dimensions of medicine-assisted therapy.

Gianna is a Registered Psychologist with postgraduate training in Transpersonal Psychology and Transformative Coaching. Her background spans occupational health, organisational wellbeing, and medicine-assisted therapy consultancy.

Melissa is an experienced meditation teacher and contemplative therapist with 7 years of experience. A research associate of The University of Melbourne, Swinburne University and the Intangible Realities Laboratory, she has worked across neuroscience, contemplative science, immersive technology and medicine-assisted therapy for ten years. She is currently completing her Masters of Clinical Psychology.

James has an international reputation as a psychotherapy trainer, researcher and writer, and is the world's most published researcher in the field of psychotherapy training. Professor of Mental Health and Psychological Wellbeing at the University of Sydney's University Centre for Rural Health, and formerly a CBT trainer and consultant at the Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre, he pioneered self-practice and self-reflection (SP/SR) training, the widely used approach in which therapists deepen their skill by experiencing therapy methods from the inside. He is co-author of several influential books on CBT practice, including the Oxford Guide to Imagery in Cognitive Therapy.

Profile coming soon.

Shannon is a Registered Nurse with 8 years' experience in emergency medicine and palliative care, bringing compassion and expertise to some of the most critical and sensitive moments in a patient's life. She is experienced in monitoring, patient safety and clinical flow.