A short biography
- Ricky Kuruppu
- Graduate Diploma of Counselling from ACAP
- Certified Practising Counsellor, and will upgrade to Clinical this year! Yay
What brought me to this work
Like many, my initiation was my own hardships. I had an easy-going, comfortable life growing up, perhaps too comfortable. I had little resilience, so in my early twenties, when life started doing what life does and throwing curveballs my way, I didn’t know how to respond.
Rather than seeing a therapist immediately, I turned to the internet. I discovered the world of self-help and personal development. My life improved, and I kept going down the path I was on. I eventually opened a blog titled Boy Under the Bridge, where I’d share my thoughts and reflections. Eventually, in my early thirties, following an ADHD diagnosis, I decided to change career path. Going with counselling or psychology was a no-brainer.
It was a risk regardless, but I went for it. I wasn’t happy just sitting behind computer screens, that was clear. I graduated in 2021 and couldn’t be happier with my life since.
Who I work with and how I work
I work for myself; my practice is called Therapy with Ricky, where I work with men between the ages of 20–40. I see clients online, over the phone, and in person. I’m lucky enough to own a house with a layout that works for a home therapy office. And I love being able to decorate and style a space that reflects my personality. Clients love it! And it makes things so much easier than having to hire a room and drive back and forth.
I also work for an online practice called Strong Space Counselling. This relationship began as a referral arrangement, but I was invited to join the team when they expanded. I found being in private practice a bit lonely at times and felt that being part of another organisation would provide many learning opportunities, both as a therapist and a business owner.
Reflections on PACFA
Australia is incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated mental health workforce, and I am proud that PACFA plays a key role in this. I am often approached by people who tell me they were ‘at the meeting where PACFA began’ and I’m reminded of the enormous effort volunteers made to get the ambitious idea of PACFA off the ground. Twenty-five years later we are going strong. I hope they are proud because it was – and remains - a huge achievement.
Commitment to the Profession
Since I started working full-time at 21 my work has always been important to me. I like the intellectual challenge of solving a tricky problem, and the satisfaction of knowing I am helping people. At PACFA I have thoroughly enjoyed the new challenge of working through a self-regulation framework to ensure quality assurance and building community. Mental health and wellbeing have long been a special interest and I am committed to increasing access to counselling and psychotherapy as well as improving awareness and understanding through the community. I believe that with the support of the Australian Government through the National Standards the best is yet to come for these important professions.
In terms of how I work, I’m person-centred at heart, with a narrative, creative, existential, spiritual slant. I’m quite open about my lived experience and personal journey online, so I feel clients come to me because this approach aligns with them. One area that’s become increasingly important to me is working with men in early adulthood. This is because, just like I did at that age, young men are turning to the internet, but what they’re being exposed to isn’t the same. There’s more harmful content/information promoted by algorithms that only favour engagement.
If you’d like to know more, see my article about Andrew Tate or the episode of SBS Insight that I was a guest on!
https://boyunderthebridge.com/andrew-tate/ and https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/news-series/insight/insight-2023/insight-s2023-ep11/2192389188002
A Day in the Life with Ricky
My days are quite unique because I work multiple jobs! I work full-time in a website/content role (which isn’t related to therapy) and then have my therapist roles, and then also do youth work.
6am: Time for Me
I enjoy starting the day with some time for me. This includes having a coffee, journalling, and just grabbing a book off the shelf and flipping through some pages. I like hardcover books that cover therapy, personal development, and art.
7am: Exercise & Movement
Exercise and movement have always been important. I'll walk to the gym and do a mix of weights and cardio. Or I'll go for a walk to a local nature reserve.
9am: My Day Job
My first time at university was for business and marketing. I work in the website and content space for a local council. It's different work to therapy and youth work but gives me a break from the heavy emotional stuff. As I’m neurodiverse, I also enjoy the variation in work.
5pm: Strong Space, Clients and Sleepovers
I'll see my own clients, do a shift at Strong Space, or do a sleepover at my youth work role. Working for another practice gives me the chance to work with others and be part of a team.
Youth work is related to therapy but different in many ways. It's not something I expected to do but has been an enriching and meaningful experience. It's therapeutic but not exactly therapy. Every shift is different. There are challenges but lots of laughs along the way.
During the week across both therapy jobs, I’ll see 8–10 clients. This keeps me busy, and I don’t generally recommend people work as much, but I’ve built myself up to this and have a good system.
The variation in work keeps things interesting for my ADHD brain and ensures I don’t get burnt out from the demand a full-time therapy role has. I really am amazed at anyone who sees several clients day after day!
Another big part of my approach is financial stability. I didn’t want to put all the pressure on my private practice. This way, I’ve been able to grow my business slowly.
Outside of work, I love to travel. Two of my favourite experiences were visiting Freud’s House and walking through Spain.
Connect with Ricky
Website: https://www.therapywithricky.com.au/
Blog: https://boyunderthebridge.com/
Social: https://www.instagram.com/boyunderthebridge