Dr Stephanie Dowrick’s intellectual and clinical contribution in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy, wellbeing and mental health research has been significant and arguably unmatched in Australia since the 1990s.

Her first major non-fiction book, Intimacy and Solitude:  Balancing Closeness and Independence, was published in 1991, has been revised and updated twice in the English language, most recently in 2021. It has been widely translated and constantly available in succeeding editions. A companion volume, The Intimacy and Solitude Self-Therapy Book, was published in the US as The Intimacy and Solitude Workbook.

Dr Dowrick’s most recent psychological book is Your name is not Anxious (2023) which draws on the latest research and therapies to allow readers to meet the collective anxieties of this time, with a great degree of knowledge and self-empowerment.

Later major books include The Universal Heart, Forgiveness & Other Acts of Love, Choosing Happiness: Life and Soul Essentials, Creative Journal Writing: A guided journey of self-expression, personal growth, and supportive reflection.

She describes herself as “researcher/writer before clinician”, while remaining “unconditionally grateful to those hundreds of people who have put their trust me in my many workshops, retreats, as well as during my years in private practice, including supervision of therapists and physicians”.

Her training has been initially in analytic psychotherapy, plus psychosynthesis. She names as inspiration her own mother, whose reading life included Jung and Freud; then women from “Red Therapy” in London, most especially Dr Lucy Goodison, Sheila Ernst and Dr Joanna Ryan, who were also early authors of Stephanie Dowrick at The Women’s Press in London. Later, she shared rooms at the Temenos Centre in Sydney with Jungian therapist and environment activist, Dr Sally Gillespie.

For 10 years, Dr Dowrick was the “Inner Life” columnist for Good Weekend Magazine (SMH and the Age). She was the regular “On the Couch” fortnightly guest of Geraldine Doogue on ABC Radio National’s “Life Matters” for a similar length of time. She was also a frequent guest on ABC Radio “Night Life”.

Her ability to transcend “self-help” and make in-depth contributions to the lives of countless readers and listeners has been praised by many prominent psychiatrists, including Professor Pat McGorry, AO: “Despite the temptation of the quick fix, Dr Dowrick has made an array of connected insights accessible to us all, which represents a timely gift in our anxious and troubled world.” Also, Professor Marie Bismark: “From Forgiveness & Other Acts of Love to Your name is not Anxious, Stephanie’s words and insights have enriched my life with wisdom, hope and courage.”