Adam Lo is an Occupational Therapist and Mental Health Clinician working in the public Child and Youth Mental Health Service in Metro South Health. Adam uses group therapy, creative arts, family therapy and other psychotherapeutic approaches such as Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in his work with children, young people and their families.  He is currently involved in exploring and researching the link between creative activities and mental health.

Adam also works extensively in partnership development, community liaison and education, as well as co-designing (with consumers and carers) and leading initiatives on the promotion of mental health, prevention of mental illness and early intervention programs and approaches.

Other roles of Adam includes project and event management, being a clinical educator and supervisor, as well as health services management.  His latest key project was being the creator and Festival Director of the Positive Mindset Creative Arts Festival, which promotes mental wellbeing and reduces the stigma of mental illness and addiction issues in young people through music, visual art, drama, dance and media art.  Adam is also a member of the Arts Health Network Queensland’s Leadership Group.

A current Board Director of Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA), Adam previously volunteered several years as a Divisional Councillor in the Queensland Division until early 2015.  He continues to be a strong advocate for the profession of occupational therapy in various roles and is currently the OTA Delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) and the Secretary of the Asia Pacific Occupational Therapy Regional Group.

Adam sees a small number of clients (both children and adults) with his private practice, where bulk billing is offered to veterans and individuals/families with financial constraints (please CLICK here for more details).

Adam is a reservist officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, with a keen interest in aviation, leadership and performance theories, social justice,  military history and the mental wellbeing of service personnel and veterans.

Outside of his professional life, Adam is an active community volunteer for over twenty-five years in various capacities, such as in youth advocacy/mentoring, being a Justice of the Peace, fundraising for charity, supporting local churches, working with the veteran community through the RSL, volunteering with St John Ambulance and also as an Officer of Cadets with the Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC). He was previously involved in community radio broadcasting - which ranged from being an announcer of various youth programs to being a board director of Radio 4EB FM and national representative in multicultural youth broadcasting in Australia with the NEMBC (National Ethnic Multicultural Broadcaster’s Council). Adam was also in a number of committees and boards of professional and community organisations such as Ausdance Queensland, multicultural community groups and Scout groups.

When time permits, Adam is an arts health practitioner who expresses himself through a variety of art mediums such as music, illustrations, paintings and zine publishing. He also likes to assist other artists, particularly young people, in developing their potential and furthering their opportunities in the creative arts. He hopes to maximise the benefits of the creative art occupation to promote wellbeing in individuals and communities.

Adam was recently awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021) for services to mental health, and to the multicultural community of Queensland. He was also a previous recipient of the Multicultural Queensland Award (Individual Category - 2006), Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Australia Day Achievement Award (2011), the Highly Commended Award in the Queensland Health Awards for Excellence (2015) as well as finalists in the Pride of Australia Medal Award (Fair Go Category - 2015) and the Mental Health Week Achievement Awards in 2017 and 2018.

Connect with Adam via email, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

For his creative arts endeavors, Adam can be contacted via Instagram and Facebook