About the author

John Hannan began his professional journey in adventure tourism, spending twelve years as a white-water rafting guide and manager across Asia and the rainforests of Far North Queensland. He led remote five-day wilderness tours accessible only by helicopter, spent six months guiding in Japan, and managed a rafting operation in Indonesia, where he was tasked with overhauling training and safety systems following the deaths of three tourists in a single event.

In his thirties, John transitioned into psychology, pursuing a career defined by work in high-needs environments. John has extensive experience in treating trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and existential distress. His career has spanned private practice, management in the Australian Department of Defence and teaching statistics in universities. As a psychologist with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, he spent over a decade serving remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Cape York Peninsula. His work included therapy, clinical leadership, and crisis response to traumatic incidents such as road fatalities, murders, cyclones, and floods. He currently provides mental health critical incident response services to clients in the corporate, construction, and mining sectors. 

An expert in the evolutionary psychology of trauma, John focuses particularly on moral injury—a complex form of PTSD. He is committed to building mental health capacity in communities, having developed youth workshops, community suicide response protocols, and delivered more than fifty Mental Health First Aid and related courses.

John holds a Master of Business Administration, complementing his work in management coaching. With over twenty years’ experience as a therapist, educator, and leader across three countries and four cultures, he brings deep insight and practical expertise to all areas of his work.