Gill Straker

Who Gill Straker is

Professor Gill Straker is a clinical professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney and a visiting research professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Born in South Africa, she has a lifetime of experience as a psychotherapist practising in both South Africa and Australia, including counselling victims of trauma and brutality during the apartheid era. She is a chartered clinical psychologist with the British Psychological Society and a member of the clinical college of the Australian Psychological Society. She coined the concept of 'continuous traumatic stress' to describe ongoing stress situations such as domestic violence, child abuse, and political turmoil, distinguishing it from post-traumatic and complex traumatic stress. She co-authored the book 'The Talking Cure' with Dr Jacqui Winship and contributed articles to The Guardian's 'The Modern Mind' column on psychotherapy and mental health.

References for this biography

1. 1.Prof. Gill Straker – Speaker Profile, Calabash — Establishes her role as clinical professor at University of Sydney, visiting research professor at Wits, BPS chartered status, coinage of 'continuous traumatic stress', and UNHCR work
2. 2.The Talking Cure – Pan Macmillan Australia — Confirms her title as clinical professor at Sydney University and co-authorship of 'The Talking Cure'
3. 3.Psychotherapy on the couch – ABC Listen (Conversations) — Confirms her background in South Africa, apartheid-era trauma work, and role at University of Sydney
4. 4.Jacqui Winship and Gill Straker (@thetalkingcure2019) – Facebook — Confirms she contributed articles to The Guardian's 'The Modern Mind' column
5. 5.Sydney Institute for Psychoanalysis – Gill Straker lecture flyer — Confirms over 100 international publications and her psychoanalytic affiliations including the UK section of Integrative Psychotherapy
6. 6.Psyche and Society – Thinking with Psychoanalysis — Confirms her role as Director of the Centre for Applied Studies in Psychotherapy and Counselling, and UNHCR refugee/torture survivor programme work

Notable achievements

• Coined the term 'continuous traumatic stress' to describe ongoing stress situations such as domestic violence, child abuse, and political turmoil, differentiating it from post-traumatic and complex traumatic stress. Source ↗
• Co-authored 'The Talking Cure: Normal People, Their Hidden Struggles and the Life-Changing Power of Therapy' (published by Macmillan), drawing on her clinical experience. Source ↗
• Contributed articles to The Guardian's 'The Modern Mind' column on psychotherapy, co-authored with Jacqui Winship. Source ↗
• Awarded a distinguished Mellon Foundation Scholarship. Source ↗
• Has over 100 international publications in the area of psychotherapy and psychology. Source ↗

What Gill Straker has said

• “In the therapy room it is a foe to be vanquished if our patients are to live happier and more authentic lives. The challenge is that perfectionism tends to masquerade as diligence and achievement.”

  Psychotherapist and contributor to 'The Modern Mind' column · Mental health · 27 Aug 2026 · The pitfalls of perfectionism – and why ‘good enough’ should be your goal | Gill Straker and Jacqui Winship ↗

Where Gill Straker has been quoted

1. Breaking free from resentment: the hidden cost of revenge and the healing power of forgiveness | Gill Straker and Jacqui Winshiptheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. The pitfalls of perfectionism – and why ‘good enough’ should be your goal | Gill Straker and Jacqui Winshiptheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• One Year On: How The Royal Foundation is strengthening suicide prevention support in the UKRoyal Foundation
• Norwich City teams up with The Royal Foundation to support suicide preventionNorwich City Football Club
• Licensable picture: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted its annual Out of the Darkness Walk on Oct. 10 in Staunton's Gypsy HillReuters Connect

Contact & links

• Websitehttps://thetalkingcure.net.au/published here ↗
• Staff pagehttps://www.panmacmillan.com.au/?authors=gillian-straker

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.