About Dean
Dean McManus is a Clinical Psychologist and founder of Sanctum Psychology, based in Helensvale on the Gold Coast. He has worked across private, corporate, education, and government settings for more than 25 years, with experience spanning psychological therapy, assessment, counselling, resilience coaching, report writing, education, and mental health promotion.
Dean provides therapy for adults and psychological assessment for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. His areas of interest include neurodivergence, trauma, anxiety, identity, adjustment, workplace stress and inclusive psychological care. His practice is grounded in a considered approach to clinical psychology: clear, practical, respectful, and genuinely useful for the person, their support network and the professionals involved in their care.
At Sanctum Psychology, the focus is clinical psychology for clarity, depth, and lasting change.
Therapy and Counselling
Dean provides psychological therapy for a broad range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, grief, trauma, adjustment to life transitions, relationship difficulties, addiction, and difficulties relating to identity, gender, and sexuality.
He also works with clients experiencing workplace stress, psychological injury, WorkCover-related concerns, and trauma presentations associated with frontline, emergency service and first responder roles.
Dean has extensive experience working with people from diverse backgrounds, including LGBTQIA+ clients and neurodivergent individuals. His approach is warm, direct, practical and collaborative. He aims to create a therapeutic space that is inclusive, accepting and emotionally safe, while also being structured enough to support meaningful progress.
Dean draws from a range of evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based approaches, strengths-based therapy, motivational interviewing, interpersonal psychotherapy, and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). His work is trauma-informed and tailored to the person’s needs, goals, identity and circumstances.
Assessment
Dean provides comprehensive psychological assessment and report writing for children, adolescents, adults and older adults.
His assessment work includes ADHD and autism diagnostic clarification, cognitive and learning profiles, intellectual and memory assessment, personality and mental health assessment, and reports to support treatment planning, school adjustments, university supports, workplace recommendations, WorkCover matters, and clinically relevant legal or administrative processes.
Dean uses evidence-based, gold-standard assessment tools selected according to the referral question. His assessment approach integrates clinical interview, behavioural observation, psychometric testing, collateral information, developmental history, and functional formulation.
Dean aims to produce reports that are clear, comprehensive, and practical. His reports are designed to help clients, parents, GPs, schools, universities, allied health professionals, insurers, lawyers, and other referrers understand the person’s strengths, difficulties, diagnosis where relevant, and recommended supports.
Inclusive and Affirming Practice
Sanctum Psychology is an inclusive and affirming practice. Dean works with clients across diverse identities, cultures, family structures, gender experiences, sexualities and neurodevelopmental profiles. He has a strong interest in social justice, mental health promotion, and creating spaces where people feel respected, understood and able to speak openly.
His work often integrates psychological insight with practical skill-building, self-compassion, humour, connection and values-based change.
Location and Appointments
Sanctum Psychology is located in Helensvale, just off the Pacific Motorway and behind Westfield, within the Gold Coast Health & Wellness Centre. On-street parking is available on Millennium Circuit and off-street parking is available at the Woolworths carpark at Westfield Helensvale. There is one disability parking spot designated onsite.
Dean offers face-to-face appointments on the Gold Coast and telehealth (online) appointments Australia-wide.
Dean also provides a monthly child and adolescent assessment clinic in St Leonards, Sydney, usually held on a Friday and Saturday, at Caring for Families.
