Prof. Leon Petchkovsky

Psychoanalyst, Psychiatrist

Prof. Leon Petchkovsky FRCPsych PhD, the Director of the Pinniger Clinic for the Psychotherapies at Robina, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry with the University of Queensland, where he supervises PhD students.

Jungian Analytic Practice

Leon trained as a Jungian Analyst in Britain in the 70’s. He is the immediate past President of ANZSJA, the Australian and New Zealand Society of Jungian Analysts. As a senior training Analyst with ANZSJA, he supervises other analysts and candidates working towards Jungian Analytic qualifications.

Aboriginal Depth Psychology

Leon has written extensively on Indigenous mental health from a Jungian Depth Psychology . He still visits remote Central Australian communities regularly. Over the years he has developed strong relationships with Aboriginal teachers/mentors in these communities.

Research

His interests in the arts, Depth psychology, and the neurosciences, intersect in a major research programme that he is currently co-ordinating; the replication of Jung’s original Word Association experiment under fMRI conditions. This will soon be extended by qEEG studies. The aim is to get a clear idea of the neurobiology that underlies Jungian complexes.

Professional Practice

As Director of the Pinniger Clinic, he sees mainly professional people (doctors, artists, psychologists) who are interested in developing insights into their own psychopathology so that they can become more effective therapists. The clinical work combines depth psychology with cutting edge neurofeedback technologies.

Mindfulness

His ongoing interest in meditation (he ordained for several months as a Theravada Buddhist monk in the 90’s) informs his work, and mindfulness development is a strong part of his practice, both personally and with his patients.

Contact Prof. Leon Petchkovsky