Richard Bryant (psychologist)

On 13 June 2016 he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), for eminent service to medical research in the field of psychotraumatology, as a psychologist and author, to the study of Indigenous mental health, as an advisor to a range of government and international organisations, and to professional societies.

[5] In 1989 Bryant commenced working at Westmead Hospital as a clinical psychologist, responsible for managing trauma and burns patients.

[6] Bryant has worked on many Australian and international projects aimed at reducing PTSD and other mental health disorders following trauma exposure.

[8] Bryant adapted his protocol in the aftermath of the major Black Saturday bushfires in Australia, which government authorities adopted as the mental health response to the disaster.

Bryant has conducted numerous treatment trials on Post-traumatic stress disorder with a focus on cognitive behaviour therapy.

[2][14] Bryant has conducted some of the first studies into cognitive factors that underpin Prolonged Grief Disorder from normal bereavement, including memory styles, appraisals, and how people imagine their futures.

[15] In addition, he conducted a major controlled trial of treating Prolonged Grief Disorder that demonstrated that reliving memories of the loss is critical to optimising treatment response.