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 20 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. Her research and practice explore how insights from deep therapeutic experience, clinical evidence and diverse ways of knowing can be translated into safer real-world practice.

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 a researcher, educator, meditation teacher and contemplative therapist, having supported clients for over 7 years. She is a Director of the Anam Cara Centre and co-developer of CPACT, a 12-month professional training program in contemplative and medicine-assisted therapies. Melissa's work explores how medicine-assisted therapy, contemplative practice, and emerging technologies can support personal transformation and flourishing. This includes research translating nature-based and contemplative practice into virtual reality with The University of Melbourne, the Intangible Realities Laboratory and PRISM, where Melissa serves as Secretary.

James is a clinical psychologist, psychotherapy trainer, researcher and writer. He served as Professor of Mental Health at Southern Cross University and is an Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney. He is one of the world's most published researchers on therapist training, with groundbreaking research on his self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) approach, the widely used method in which therapists deepen their skill by experiencing therapy methods from the inside, and is the co-author of several books. James has been involved in medicine-assisted therapy developments in Australia as trainer, therapist, chief investigator, researcher and facilitator within psychology and health professional networks.

Geraldine is a Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with more than three decades of clinical, leadership and teaching experience across the NSW public health system. She practises in consultation liaison psychiatry at Canterbury Hospital, and her work spans acute and community mental health, crisis care, perinatal mental health and clinical supervision. Widely respected for her holistic, compassionate approach, she has mentored and examined Nurse Practitioners across Australia.

Shannon is a registered nurse with seven years of experience across Canada and Australia, spanning surgical, acute, medical, palliative and general practice settings.

Her experience across the continuum of care has shaped her holistic approach to healing and deepened her passion for mental health and the connection between mind and body. At the heart of her practice is compassion, empathy and a commitment to creating safe spaces where patients feel heard, supported and empowered.