PhD, MBBS, Grad Cert (Grief and Loss), FASPM, FRACGP
Dr Johanna Lynch is an Australian general practitioner (family doctor) who has spent the last 15 years working as a psychotherapist with adult survivors of childhood trauma and neglect. She founded a transdisciplinary trauma-informed clinic in Brisbane named Integrate Place which operated from 2009-2013 offering psychology, social work, trauma-informed yoga, art therapy and mental health nurse support. In 2012 Dr Lynch wrote a paper urging GPs to look beyond symptoms to the whole person, influencing training of Australian GPs in mental health, mental health policy, and leading to invitations to contribute internationally.
In 2019 she completed a PhD, in whole person approaches to distress, championing the sophisticated craft of generalist approaches to distress – integrating social science and biomedicine. This PhD, entitled Sense of Safety: a whole person approach to distress in primary care sought to integrate trauma-informed care into primary care. This thesis has received international acclaim from primary care researchers and has been seen as a paradigm change in approaches to people in distress. It integrated lived experience and Indigenous wisdom with transdisciplinary scientific insights from trauma, attachment, social determinants of health, neurobiology, psychophysiology and psychoneuroimmunology.
Dr Johanna Lynch works as a Senior Lecturer at The University of Queensland, teaching medical students about trauma-informed whole person care. She is an advisor to BlueKnot foundation, trains rural GPs as a Fellow of the Australian Society for Psychological Medicine and The Royal College of General Practitioners, and offers online professional coaching of GPs and mental health clinicians. She has also undertaken training in dissociation through the ISSTD (International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation).
Dr Johanna Lynch came to Australia as a refugee from Idi Amin’s Uganda. She spent her primary years in Uganda, Australia, and Kenya, and her high school years in Indonesia. She completed her undergraduate medical training in Queensland, and undertook further training in India and London. As an adult she has remained fascinated by the ways that humans connect to themselves, their community, and their environment, to create meaning and belonging through kindness.
| Featured projects | Duration |
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Sense of Safety: A Whole Person Approach to Distress Advance Queensland PhD Fellowship |
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| Exploring Long-term Antidepressant Use in General Practice | |
| Exploring security in the GP-Patient Relationship: A Qualitative Study |
Publications
Book
Lynch, Johanna (2021). A whole person approach to wellbeing: building sense of safety. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003044833
Book Chapters
Lynch, Johanna (2021). Trauma-informed care in general practice . White book: Abuse and Violence – Working with our patients in general practice. (pp. 90-117) Melbourne, VIC, Australia: RACGP.
Lynch, Johanna and Kirkengen, Anna Luise (2019). Biology and experience intertwined – trauma, neglect and physical health. Humanising mental health care in Australia: a guide to trauma-informed approaches. (pp. 195-208) edited by Richard Benjamin, Joan Haliburn and Serena King. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429021923-15
Journal Articles
Thomas, Hayley, Lynch, Johanna, Burch, Emily, Best, Megan, Ball, Lauren, Sturgiss, Elizabeth and Sturman, Nancy (2023). Where the joy comes from: a qualitative exploration of deep GP-patient relationships. BMC Primary Care, 24 (1) 268, 1-14. doi: 10.1186/s12875-023-02224-0
Lynch, Johanna M., Thomas, Hayley R., Askew, Deborah A. and Sturman, Nancy (2023). Holding the complex whole: generalist philosophy, priorities and practice that facilitate whole-person care. Australian Journal of General Practice, 52 (7), 428-433. doi: 10.31128/AJGP-01-23-6686
Thomas, Hayley Robyn, Best, Megan, Chua, David, King, David and Lynch, Johanna (2023). Whole person assessment for family medicine: a systematic review. BMJ Open, 13 (4) e065961, e065961. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065961
Fiolet, Renee, Woods, Cindy, Moana, Anni Hine, Reilly, Rachel, Herrman, Helen, McLachlan, Helen, Fisher, Jane, Lynch, Johanna and Chamberlain, Catherine (2023). Community perspectives on delivering trauma-aware and culturally safe perinatal care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents. Women and Birth, 36 (2), e254-e262. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2022.07.174
Victoire, Anousha, De Boos, Julia and Lynch, Johanna (2022). 'I thought I was about to die': management of non-fatal strangulation in general practice. Australian Journal of General Practice, 51 (11), 871-876. doi: 10.31128/AJGP-10-21-6195
Lynch, Johanna, Stone, Louise and Victoire, Anousha (2022). Recognising and responding to domestic and family violence in general practice. Australian Journal of General Practice, 51 (11), 863-869. doi: 10.31128/AJGP-03-22-6375
Kelly, Michaela, Lynch, Johanna, Mainstone, Penny, Green, Alison and Sturman, Nancy (2022). ‘Things we are expected to just do and deal with’: Using the medical humanities to encourage reflection on vulnerability and nurture clinical skills, collegiality, compassion, and self-care. Perspectives on Medical Education, 11 (5), 300-304. doi: 10.1007/s40037-022-00724-w
Sturman, Nancy Jennifer, Williams, Ryan, Wyder, Marianne and Lynch, Johanna (2022). Heard, known, and safe in general practice? An interview study with patients with severe and persistent mental illness. BJGP Open, 6 (2) BJGPO.2021.0201. doi: 10.3399/bjgpo.2021.0201
Lynch, Johanna M., Driel, Mieke, Meredith, Pamela, Stange, Kurt C., Getz, Linn, Reeve, Joanne, Miller, William L. and Dowrick, Christopher (2021). The Craft of Generalism clinical skills and attitudes for whole person care. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 28 (6), 1187-1194. doi: 10.1111/jep.13624
Donald, Maria, Partanen, Riitta, Sharman, Leah, Lynch, Johanna, Dingle, Genevieve A., Haslam, Catherine and van Driel, Mieke (2021). Long-term antidepressant use in general practice: a qualitative study of GPs' views on discontinuation. British Journal of General Practice, 71 (708), BJGP.2020.0913-e516. doi: 10.3399/bjgp.2020.0913
Dingle, Genevieve A., Sharman, Leah S., Haslam, Catherine, Donald, Maria, Turner, Cynthia, Partanen, Riitta, Lynch, Johanna, Draper, Grace and van Driel, Mieke L. (2021). The effects of social group interventions for depression: systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 281, 67-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.125
Lynch, Johanna M, Dowrick, Christopher, Meredith, Pamela, McGregor, Sue L T and van Driel, Mieke (2020). Transdisciplinary Generalism: Naming the epistemology and philosophy of the generalist. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 27 (3) jep.13446, 638-647. doi: 10.1111/jep.13446
Lynch, Johanna M., Askew, Deborah A., Mitchell, Geoffrey K. and Hegarty, Kelsey L. (2012). Beyond symptoms: Defining primary care mental health clinical assessment priorities, content and process. Social Science and Medicine, 74 (2), 143-149. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.08.043
Conference Papers
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). A whole person canvas: designing a practical clinician pattern recognition prompt together. North American Primary Care Research Group 52nd Annual Meeting, Quebec City, QC, Canada, 20-24 November 2024.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). A strength-based and trauma-informed approach to whole person care. Advanced Trainee Conference Psychiatry of Old Age, Mt Gravatt, QLD, Australia, 30 August 2024.
Noknoy, Sairat, Nicodemus, Leilanie, Wang, Harry H. X. and Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). Brainstorming process on core values and definition of family medicine in asia pacific region. World Organisation of Family Doctors Asia Pacific (WONCA), Singapore, 21-24 August 2024.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). Generalist Mental Health. World Organisation of Family Doctors Asia Pacific (WONCA), Singapore, 21-24 August 2024.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). The Art and Science of Whole Person Care WONCA APR Singapore 2024. World Organisation of Family Doctors Asia Pacific (WONCA), Singapore, 21-24 August 2024.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). Healing: reflecting on the heart of the healer. Australian Society for Psychological Medicine, Online, 3 August 2024.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). Trauma- informed care: a natural paradigm for quality medical care.. Australian Medical Association, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 2-4 August 2024.
Lynch, J. M. (2023). Sense of Safety: a whole person approach to chronic pain. Pain Futures Summit, Sydney, Australia, 23 November 2023.
Lynch, Johanna (2023). Sense of Safety Audit: Co-design and validation of a new whole person assessment tool for primary care. WONCA Sydney World Conference, Sydney, NSW Australia, 26-29th October 2023.
Lynch, Johanna, Getz, Linn, Stange, Kurt and Dowrick, Christopher (2023). Sensing and building patient safety: practical trauma-informed and strength-based skills and attitudes for general practice. WONCA, Sydney, NSW Australia, 26-29th October 2023.
Lynch, J. M., Price, K., Stange, K. and Green, L. (2023). The Generalist Gaze: making visible the generalist skills at the heart of quality healthcare.. World Federation of Family Doctors Conference, Sydney, Australia, 25-29 October 2023.
Thomas, Hayley, Lynch, Johanna, Burch, Emily, Best, Megan, Ball, Lauren, Sturgiss, Elizabeth and Sturman, Nancy (2023). Exploring deep GP patient relationships: a qualitative study with GP-patient dyads. Australasian Association of Academic Primary Care, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 17-18 August 2023. Clayton, VIC, Australia: CSIRO Publishing.
Kelly, Michaela, Green, Alison, Lynch, Johanna, Mainstone, Penny and Sturman, Nancy (2023). Vulnerability in Medicine Tutorials - minimising power differentials, building relationships and championing self-care.. ANZAHPE -Turning Tides - Navigating the Opportunities 2023, Gold Coast, QLD Australia, 26-29 June 2023.
Lynch, Johanna (2023). What is so special about generalism? A reflection on whole person care for those who provide it. General Practice Medical Educators Conference (GPME), Sydney, NSW Australia, 1-2 June 2023.
Lynch, J. M. (2023). Creating Capacity: how to build sense of safety in clinical care. General Practice Medical Educators Conference, Sydney, Australia, 1-2 June 2023.
Lynch, J. M. (2023). Building Sense of Safety: The Heart of Whole Person Care. Australian Society for Psychological Medicine Conference, Hamilton Island, QLD, Australia, 5-7 May 2023.
Lynch, Johanna (2022). Caring for the whole person: building sense of safety. Australian College of Mental Health Nursing Symposium: ‘Mental Health Nursing is the Solution’, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia; Virtual, 12 November 2021.
Lynch, Johanna M. and Kirkengen, Anna Louise (2022). The lived body: exploring the transformation from complex trauma to complex disease. International Childhood Trauma Conference, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 31 July - 5 August 2022.
Lynch, Johanna and Kirkengen, Anna Luise (2022). The lived body: exploring the links between complex trauma and complex disease. International Childhood Trauma Conference 2022, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 31 July - 5 August 2022. Richmond, VIC, Australia: Australian Childhood Foundation.
Lynch, Johanna (2022). Sense of safety: a whole person approach to distress relevant to the physiotherapist. Australian Physiotherapy Association National Thrive Webinar Session 8, Virtual , 15 June 2022. Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Australian Physiotherapy Association.
Kline, Maggie, Brand, Bethany, Cherry, Lisa, Lanius, Ruth, Blackstock, Cindy, Champagne, Tina, Lynch, Johanna, Welch, Caroline, Malchiodi, Cathy, Atkinson, Judy, Abeles, Roby, Carter, Sue and Kickett, Glenda (2022). Panel: Responding to trauma – listening to expert women in the field. International Childhood Trauma Conference 2022, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 31 July - 5 May 2022. Richmond, VIC, Australia: Australian Childhood Foundation.
Conaghan, Susan, Fullbrook, Rebecca, Klieve-Longman, Joanna, Atwell-Moore, Hannah and Lynch, Johanna (2021). Recognise, Respond, Refer: An Integrated Health Response to Domestic Violence . STOP Domestic Violence Conference, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 1-3 December 2021.
Lynch, Johanna and Stange, Kurt (2021). Fostering a sense of safety: unpacking a critical generalist strategy. 49th Annual Meeting NAPCRG 2021, Online, 19 - 23 November 2021.
Lynch, Johanna (2021). Is multimorbidity iatrogenic? A Dangerous idea. Australian Association for Academic Primary Care Conference, Online, 12-13 August.
Kelly, Michaela, Lynch, Johanna, Green, Alison, Mainstone, P., Eastgate, Gillian and Sturman, Nancy (2021). When worlds collide: exploring vulnerability in patients, medical students and doctors. ANZAHPE 2021 Moving Forward in Ambiguity, Online, July 2021.
Lynch, Johanna and Thomas, Hayley (2021). Whole person care: exploring its nature and clinical practice. WONCA Europe 2021, Virtual, 6 - 10 July 2021.
Lynch, Johanna (2021). Generalist mental health: honing and refining what GPs already know. 62nd Clinical Update RACGP Conference , Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 1 - 2 May 2021.
Lynch, Johanna, Dowrick, Christopher, Meredith, Pamela, McGregor. Sue L.T. and van Driel, Mieke (2020). Transdisciplinary Generalism: Naming the Philosophy and Practice of the Generalist. Herston Health Precinct Symposium 2020, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 7-11 December 2020.
Lynch, Johanna, Dowrick, Christopher, Meredith, Pamela and van Driel, Mieke (2020). Sense of Safety: Domains and Dynamics that Name a Transdisciplinary Language of Wellbeing. Herston Health Precinct Symposium 2020, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 7-11 December 2020.
Lynch, Johanna, Dowrick, Christopher, Meredith, Pam, McGregor, Sue L. T. and van Driel, Mieke (2020). Transdisciplinary generalism: naming the epistemology and philosophy of the generalist. 7th Biennial ACSPRI Social Science Methodology Conference , Online, 1 - 3 December 2020.
Lynch, Johanna, Meredith, Pamela, Dowrick, Christopher, Stange, Kurt and van Driel, Mieke (2020). Can threat unite us? Translating generalism into practice through the language of sense of safety. North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) 48th conference, Online , November 2020.
Lynch, Johanna, Dowrick, Christopher, Meredith, Pamela and McGregor, Sue S.L.T. (2020). Transdisciplinary generalism: conceptualising the clinical and research tasks of whole person care.. North American Primary Care Research Group (NAPCRG) 48th Annual conference, Online, November 2020.
Lynch, J., Dowrick, C., Meredith, P., McGregor, S. and van Driel, M. (2020). Transdisciplinary generalism: a coherent philosophy and practice for primary care. RACGP GP20, Online, 16 - 28 November 2020. East Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
Kelly, Michaela, Lynch, Johanna, Green, Alison and Sturman, Nancy (2020). Getting to the heart of the matter: exploring vulnerability in patients, medical students and doctors. ANZAHPE 2020 Vision for Learning Cultures Conference, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 12-15 July 2020.
Thomas, Hayley, Best, Megan, Lynch, Johanna and Chua, David (2020). Clinical approaches to whole person assessment: a systematic review. In: Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care (AAAPC) Annual Research Conference, Online, (LII-LII). 14–15 August 2020.
Sturman, N., Lynch, J. and Williams, R. (2020). Sometimes hard to hear: Patients with severe and persistent mental illness talk about general practice. AAAPC 2020 Annual Research Conference, Online, 13-14 August 2020. CLAYTON: CSIRO PUBLISHING.
Lynch, Johanna (2019). Putting humpty dumpty back together again: whole person care as trauma-informed care in general practice.. Trauma-informed care in General Practice - Joint Australian Society of Psychological Medicine and Royal Australian College of General Practice, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 1 - 2 June 2019.
Lynch, Johanna, Meredith, Pamela, Dowrick, Christopher and van Driel, Mieke (2018). Sense of Safety: a trauma-informed transdiagnostic approach to understanding distress in primary care.. International Childhood Trauma Conference, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 29 July - 3 August 2018.
Lynch, J.M., Meredith, P., Dowrick, C. and van Driel, M. (2018). Appraising sense of safety: qualitative analysis of responses to the question ‘what does the phrase ‘sense of safety’ mean to you?’ ISSTD Conference (March 24th, 2018). International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation ISSTD Conference, Chicago, ILL, United States, 22-26 March 2018.
Lynch, Johanna, Meredith, Pamela, Dowrick, Christopher and van Driel, Mieke (2018). Consultative workshop: sense of safety: a map, a journey and a reason to travel – integrating trauma informed assessment into primary care. International Society for Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) Conference , Chicago, ILL, United States, 22 – 26 March 2018.
Lynch, J. M., Meredith, P., Dowrick, C. and van Driel, M. (2017). Consultative workshop: ’sense of safety’ as a unifying language in mental health provision?. International Neuropsychotherapy Conference 2017, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 23 - 26 May 2017. International Association of Clinical Neuropsychotherapy.
Lynch, J.M., Meredith, P., Dowrick, C. and van Driel, M. (2017). ‘Sense of Safety’: Exploring a novel generalist transdisciplinary approach to distress in primary care. . 14th World Rural Health Conference - World Federation of Rural Doctors (WONCA), Cairns, QLD, Australia, 29 April - 2 May 2017.
Lynch, J.M., Van Marwijk, H., Terluin, B., Verhaek, P. and Parementier, H. (2015). Mental distress: should we move beyond symptoms in primary care assessment?. International Mental Health Congress., Lille, France, 28 - 30 April 2015.
Lynch, J.M. (2015). What am I missing? Dissociation in Primary care . International Mental Health Congress, Lille, France, 28-30 April 2015.
Lynch, J.M. (2014). Beyond Symptoms. International Mental Health Conference., Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 25-26 August 2014.
Department Technical Report
Brisbane South Primary Health Network, Lynch, Johanna, Metro South Hospital and Health Service (MSHHS) , Children’s Health Queensland teams Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (QCPIMH) and Centre for Children’s Health and Wellbeing (CCHW) (2021). Quality improvement for General Practice - Mental Health - Trauma-informed care. Brisbane South Primary Health Network.
Thesis
Lynch, Johanna (2019). Sense of safety: a whole person approach to distress in primary care. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/34f0469
Seminar Papers
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). The craft of generalism and whole person care. Family Medicine Faculty Meeting, Duke University, NC, United States.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). Trauma-informed care: a natural paradigm for good medicine. Internal Medicine Program, Duke University.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). Sense of Safety: a whole person approach to distress. Internal Medicine and Psychiatry, Duke University.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). Measuring what matters to people experiencing distress: co-designing an innovative Sense of Safety measure and implementation support package for whole person care.. Health Care Research and Policy, Population Health and Equity Research Institute, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, United States.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). Wisdom of Practice Endowed Lecture: Becoming the kind of clinician you want to be: meeting patient, practitioner, and community needs through private practice innovation (2024). Annual Wisdom of Practice Endowed Lecture. Centre for Community Health Integration, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, United States.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). The Generalist Gaze: making visible the generalist skills at the heart of quality health care.. Webinar Series, Australian Society for Psychological Medicine.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2024). Sense of Safety: a shared language for healing oriented care. Virtual Cafe. ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation, ALIVE National Centre for Mental Health Research Translation.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2023). Sense of safety: a strengths-based approach to vicarious trauma. National Domestic Violence Pilot Workshop, Brisbane South Primary Health Network.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2023). Person-centred care in general practice. Brisbane South Primary Health Network, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Lynch, Johanna (2022). Adolescent Mental Health. Rural Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS).
Lynch, Johanna (2022). Healing-oriented care for the whole person, whole family, whole community. Outback Futures Retreat Day.
Lynch, Johanna M. (2022). The distressed patient: consultation skills to soothe and promote safety.. Sexual Assault Workshop. Hunter New England.
Middleton, Warwick, Everett, Michelle, Wright, Dragan and Lynch, Johanna (2014). Recognising, screening, and assessing complex trauma. Mental Health Professionals Network.
Benjamin, Richard, Hilder, Philip, Lynch, Johanna and Kezelman, Cathy (2013). Complex trauma: a collaborative approach to supporting adult survivors of childhood abuse. Mental Health Professionals Network.
Audio Documents
Lynch, Johanna (2022). Sense of Safety: a key element of trauma informed care. RACGP.
Hespe, Charlotte (Host), Broomfield, Ashlea (Host) and Lynch, Johanna (Guest) (2021). A whole person approach to wellbeing with Dr Johanna Lynch. Just a GP. Just a GP.
Lim, David (Host) and Lynch, Johanna (Guest) (2020). Trauma informed care and why it matters to GP – part 1. Healthed. The Clinical Takeaway.
Working Papers
Lynch, Johanna, Fullbrook, Rebecca, Klieve-Longman, Joanna, Manion, Sophie and Tillack, Kate (2022). Spoton Health Pathways: Domestic and Family Violence. Brisbane South Primary Health Network, Queensland Health.
Lynch, Johanna , Klieve-Longman, Joanne, Manion, Sophie and Fullbrook, Rebecca (2022). Spoton Healthpathways perpetrators of family violence. Brisbane South Primary Health Network, Queensland Health.
Video Documents
Clements, Michael, Lynch, Johanna and Emeleus, Mary (2020). Mental health skills update. Health Professional Webinar Series.
Rehm, Imogen, Blair-West, Scott and Lynch, Johanna (2018). Psychological treatments for tricotillomania. Mental Health Professionals Webinars.