Dr. Peter King
Profession: Clinical Lead, Credentialed Mental Health Nurse & Social Worker
New Referrals: (03) 9586 8411 or via WhatsApp +61 422 022 798 (Use WhatsApp if you can as Dr. King travels overseas regularly)
Service Location: Telehealth (online), Brighton VIC, & Phuket Thailand.
Specialties: Acute Stress Disorder, Adjustment Disorders, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Bipolar, Borderline Personality Disorder, Depressive Disorders, Dissociative Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Psychosis, Substance-Related Disorders, and Clinical Supervision.
Approaches: Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO DBT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Prolonged exposure therapy, Somatic Trauma Therapy, and Psycho-education
Professional Memberships
- International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD)
- Asian Psychological Association (APsyA)
- Australian Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ASTSS)
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
- Australian College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN)
- Golden Key International Honors Society (GKIHS)
With more than 25 years of experience in mental health, Dr. Peter King is a highly respected psychotherapist, educator, and researcher recognised for his expertise in treating individuals experiencing complex emotional, behavioural, and trauma-related difficulties.
Dr. King specialises in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Radically Open DBT (RO DBT), Somatic Trauma Therapy, and Stabilisation-Based Therapy (SBT)—an evidence-informed approach he developed through his doctoral research to support individuals experiencing severe emotion dysregulation and complex trauma.
Throughout his career, Dr. King has worked across public, community, and private mental health services in Australia and internationally. His experience spans mental health nursing, psychotherapy, social work, crisis intervention, clinical leadership, research, and executive management, providing him with a unique understanding of the diverse challenges people face throughout their mental health journey.
Committed to delivering the highest standard of evidence-based care, Dr. King has trained extensively with many of the world’s leading experts in psychological treatment. He completed intensive training through Behavioral Tech LLC, the organisation founded by Dr. Marsha Linehan, the developer of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and has undertaken advanced training with Babette Rothschild, an internationally recognised pioneer in Somatic Trauma Therapy. Most recently, he completed Level 3 training in Radically Open DBT (RO DBT), further expanding his expertise in treating perfectionism, overcontrol, chronic depression, and disorders of excessive self-control.
Dr. King’s passion extends beyond individual therapy. He is an experienced trainer, supervisor, and researcher who has educated thousands of psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, and other health professionals across Australia and internationally. His workshops focus on evidence-based psychotherapy, trauma-informed practice, clinical safety, and working effectively with individuals experiencing complex mental health presentations.
His previous leadership roles include serving as a Chief Executive Officer of a national Indigenous health organisation, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Rural Mental Health, Senior Clinician and Acting Manager within Psychiatric Triage Services, Clinical Educator for Emergency Psychiatry Services, University Lecturer, and clinician with The Royal Melbourne Hospital, including the Eating Disorders Unit and Emergency Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (ECATT).
Today, Dr. King leads DBT Clinics Australia, where he provides specialist psychological services through individual therapy, DBT and RO DBT programs, trauma therapy, professional supervision, and workforce development. His clinical philosophy is grounded in compassion, collaboration, and scientific evidence, with a commitment to helping every client build skills, heal from trauma, and create a life worth living—and a life worth sharing.
Publications
Lakeman, R., Hurley, J., Campbell, K., Hererra, C., Leggett, A., Tranter, R. and King, P. (2022), High fidelity dialectical behaviour therapy online: Learning from experienced practitioners. Int J Mental Health Nurs. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.13039
Lakeman, R., King, P., Hurley, J., Tranter, R., Leggett, A., Campbell, K. and Herrera, C. (2022), Towards online delivery of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: A scoping review. Int J Mental Health Nurs, 31: 843-856. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12976
King, P. (2020). Trauma-Informed Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT-TI) Workbook. Melbourne, Vic: CMHE Publications.
King, P., & Martin, J. M. (2019). Access to Evidence-Based Services for Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder. In Mental Health Policy, Practice, and Service Accessibility in Contemporary Society (pp. 155-176). IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/access-to-evidence-based-services-for-individuals-with-borderline-personality-disorder/213564
King, P. (2017) Effective interventions for individuals with borderline personality disorder. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Global, Urban and Social Sciences, RMIT University. https://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/eserv/rmit:162404/King.pdf
Sands, N., Elsom, S., Keppich‐Arnold, S., Henderson, K., King, P., Bourke‐Finn, K., & Brunning, D. (2016). Investigating the validity and usability of an interactive computer programme for assessing competence in telephone‐based mental health triage. International journal of mental health nursing, 25(1), 80-86. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/inm.12165
King, P., Judd, F., & Grigg, M. (2001). A Model for Consultation Liaison Psychiatry in the Loddon Southern Mallee Region for Victoria Project Report. Bendigo: Bendigo Health Care Group Psychiatric Services.