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Karl Jacks

Founder and Director

Karl Jacks is the Founder and Director of Vista Advanced Psychological Therapy. He is an AHPRA-registered health professional, Credentialed Mental Health Nurse and highly experienced therapist with expertise in trauma therapy.


Karl has more than 20 years of experience across the United Kingdom and Australia, including senior roles in specialist mental health services, private brain injury services and Queensland Health. His work has focused extensively on PTSD, complex PTSD, dissociation, trauma-related distress, complex psychological presentations and performance difficulties linked to stress, pressure and emotional load.


Karl is well suited to people who need therapy to go deeper than coping strategies alone. Many of his clients have already tried to manage things themselves, or have worked with other professionals, but continue to feel stuck in patterns of trauma, anxiety, avoidance, emotional dysregulation, shame, grief, hypervigilance, burnout or reduced confidence under pressure.


Before establishing Vista, Karl served as a Queensland Health Clinical Nurse Consultant in trauma therapy, supporting people with some of the most complex trauma presentations open to the North Queensland mental health service.


Karl’s approach is calm, structured and direct. He works collaboratively, using careful assessment, formulation, treatment planning and evidence-informed intervention to understand what is happening beneath the surface and address the level at which the problem exists.


At Vista, Karl provides trauma-focused and performance-focused therapy for people seeking privacy, clinical depth, clear direction and meaningful therapeutic progress.


Why People Choose Karl


People often choose Karl when they want a highly experienced therapist with expertise in trauma therapy, delivered in a way that is calm, private, structured and purposeful.


His work is particularly aligned with people who want to understand not only what they are experiencing, but why certain patterns keep repeating — and what can be done through a careful, evidence-informed therapeutic process.


At Vista, Karl provides trauma-focused and performance-focused therapy for people seeking clinical depth, discretion and meaningful direction.


Confidential consultations are available in person or online.

CLIENT GROUPS

Karl works with adults and older adolescents where clinically appropriate.

He may be a good fit for people who:


  • want structured therapy with clear direction

  • have experienced trauma, PTSD, complex PTSD or unresolved adverse experiences

  • value privacy, discretion and professionalism

  • feel stuck despite previous therapy or support

  • function well externally but feel distressed, overwhelmed or disconnected internally

  • have gained insight in therapy but have not experienced meaningful or lasting change

  • experience overthinking, hesitation, mental noise or reduced clarity under pressure

  • want therapy that includes formulation, goals, treatment planning and review


Karl is particularly suited to clients who want a highly experienced therapist with expertise in trauma therapy — someone calm, knowledgeable and structured, with the ability to work beyond surface-level symptoms and consider the deeper patterns maintaining distress.

Therapeutic Approaches

Karl’s therapy is structured, targeted and formulation-driven. The first appointment begins the process of understanding the client’s concerns, history, current functioning, goals, risk context, suitability and treatment direction.


Depending on the person’s needs, therapy may include:


  • Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Therapy

  • EMDR 2.0

  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

  • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

  • Motivational Interviewing

  • Stabilisation, grounding and emotional regulation strategies

  • Skills-based interventions

  • Performance-focused psychological strategies for clarity, focus, emotional regulation and responding under pressure

  • Formulation, treatment planning, review and consolidation

Karl does not use a one-size-fits-all approach. Therapy is tailored to the person’s goals, presentation, readiness, stability, supports and clinical needs. Where trauma processing is appropriate, the pace of therapy is carefully considered, with preparation, stabilisation and review built into the process.


Performance Therapy


Karl also works with people whose performance is being affected by pressure, stress, cognitive load, emotional regulation difficulties, overthinking, burnout or reduced confidence.


This is not coaching. It is a clinical, evidence-informed approach to understanding the psychological and nervous-system patterns that influence performance under pressure.

This work may assist people who:

  • make decisions that carry real consequences

  • operate in demanding or high-responsibility environments

  • are expected to maintain clarity, composure and consistency under pressure

  • notice slower decision-making, mental noise, hesitation or reduced confidence

  • want to respond more effectively rather than react under pressure


The focus is on identifying the underlying factors affecting performance and applying targeted psychological strategies to support clearer decision-making, improved focus, stronger emotional regulation and more consistent functioning.

Qualifications & Professional Background

Karl is:


  • Founder and Director of Vista Advanced Psychological Therapy

  • AHPRA-registered health professional

  • Credentialed Mental Health Nurse with the Australian College of Mental Health Nurses

  • Highly experienced therapist with expertise in trauma therapy

  • Former Queensland Health Clinical Nurse Consultant in trauma therapy

  • Experienced trauma therapist with more than 20 years of experience across the UK and Australia

  • Experienced in senior roles across public mental health, specialist services, private brain injury services and trauma-focused care

  • Experienced in supporting people with PTSD, complex PTSD, dissociation and trauma-related conditions

  • Experienced in high-pressure environments and complex psychological presentations

  • Trained in a range of trauma-focused approaches, including work with adults, adolescents, autistic people, people with intellectual disability, first responders and complex trauma presentations

  • A provider of professional trauma training and education

  • A member of EMDR-related professional associations

  • Queensland Health TUH Mental Health Nurse of the Year, 2015


Vista is a multi-award-winning therapy service, recognised through awards including Trauma Counselling Specialists of the Year 2026 - Queensland, Trauma Counselling Excellence Award 2026, and Best Emerging Psychological Therapy Practice 2026 - Australia.

Referral Pathways / Availability

Referral Pathways Karl accepts suitable referrals through the following pathways, where eligibility, approval and funding requirements are confirmed: Private self-funded referrals NDIS self-managed or plan-managed referrals WorkCover or insurance-related referrals Clients may self-refer privately. Referrals may also come from GPs, psychiatrists, specialists, allied health professionals, insurers, rehabilitation providers, support coordinators or other relevant professionals.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Karl’s clinical work is particularly focused on:


  • PTSD and complex PTSD

  • Complex trauma and repeated adverse experiences

  • Dissociation and trauma-related disconnection

  • Functional Neurological Disorder, somatic or stress-related symptoms where trauma or stress may be relevant

  • Anxiety, hypervigilance and avoidance

  • Shame, self-worth and trauma-related beliefs

  • Phobias and fear-based presentations

  • Complex grief and unresolved loss

  • Trauma-related relationship, trust and interpersonal patterns

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