Group therapy for veteransLearn to prevent stress and burnout, not just manage it.
A structured online group program for veterans, led by consultant psychiatrist Dr Angelo De Gioannis and based on Mind Behaviour Training (MBT). Join from anywhere in Australia by secure video. Camera optional. No need to share your history.
In brief
March Ahead group therapy is an ongoing online program for Australian veterans, run by a consultant psychiatrist. It teaches a practical method, Mind Behaviour Training, for recognising and changing the internal patterns that produce stress, anxiety and burnout. Sessions run weekly by secure video, you can attend with your camera off, you are never required to share your history, and for eligible DVA card holders there is no out-of-pocket cost with a GP or psychiatrist referral.
Most therapy responds to stress after it appears. This program works on what produces it.
Mind Behaviour Training is not about positive thinking, and it is not about managing symptoms once they have taken hold. It focuses on the way you behave internally under pressure: the tone you take with yourself after a mistake, the way you handle deadlines and setbacks, the constant self-criticism that quietly drives anxiety and exhaustion.
The program trains you to run that internal process the way a good manager runs a team: firm, clear and supportive. Many veterans already have these skills from their service. Group therapy helps you turn them inward.
- Practical and skills-based, with tools you use between sessions
- Focused on your current stress response, not on revisiting the past
- Complements medication and individual therapy rather than replacing them
- Led by a consultant psychiatrist, in a secure, respectful group
How sessions work
Sessions run online through secure video. You can join with your camera and microphone off and simply listen; many members begin as observers and take part more as they feel comfortable. Nobody is asked to share trauma or personal history. The work is about the pattern you use to respond to pressure now, and the group makes that pattern easier to see, because it is often much easier to recognise unfair self-talk in someone else than in yourself.
The group is ongoing rather than a fixed course. You attend as often as you find useful, and your treating team reviews progress with you along the way.
At a glance
Not the right setting for a crisis
Group therapy is not suitable for anyone who is acutely unwell, including acute substance dependence, psychosis or a current crisis. If you need help now, call 000 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, or see our crisis support list.
Built for people who keep going, and pay for it later.
Persistent stress or burnout
You function well on the outside but run on constant pressure, and the cost is showing up as exhaustion, irritability or poor sleep.
Anxiety that never quite switches off
Worry has become a background state rather than a response to something real.
Relentless self-criticism
You hold yourself to a standard you would never impose on someone you led, and it is wearing you down.
Low mood alongside treatment
You are already on medication or seeing a psychologist and want a practical, day-to-day framework to work with.
Transition and adjustment
Leaving service has changed your role, routine and identity, and old strategies are not working in civilian life.
High-functioning, high-pressure
You worry that easing up on yourself means losing your edge. In practice, replacing internal abuse with clear management improves focus and resilience.
Suitability is confirmed by our clinical team before you join. Group therapy sits within our Clinical Psychiatric Care arm and is separate from independent assessments for DVA claims.
Four steps to your first session.
Get a referral
Ask your GP for a referral to March Ahead group therapy. If you are already in our care, your treating psychiatrist can refer you directly.
Contact our team
Call or email intake with your referral and DVA card details. We confirm funding and eligibility with you before anything is booked.
Suitability check
A short conversation with our clinical team to make sure group therapy is the right fit and to explain how sessions run.
Join your first session
You receive a secure video link. Join with your camera on or off, listen first if you prefer, and take part at your own pace.
Dr Angelo De Gioannis, MD FRANZCP
Dr De Gioannis is a Brisbane consultant psychiatrist with more than 20 years of clinical experience, with a particular focus on treatment-resistant anxiety and depression. He developed Mind Behaviour Training (MBT), a structured, skills-based group program that helps people recognise and change the internal patterns that drive stress, anxiety and burnout.
At March Ahead he leads our online group therapy program for veterans, which complements individual psychiatric care and psychological therapy.
Group therapy questions
Straight answers about how the program works, who it suits and what it costs.
Can't find what you need? Call +61 7 3435 1513 or email intake@marchahead.com.au.
What is group therapy at March Ahead?
Do I have to talk, or be on camera?
Do I have to share my trauma or service history?
Why is this done in a group rather than one on one?
How often are sessions, and how long does the program run?
Can I take part while I am on medication or seeing a psychologist?
What does it cost?
Do I need a referral?
Who is group therapy not suitable for?
Is the group a safe environment?
Ready to try a different approach?
Send us your referral and DVA card details. We confirm eligibility and book your first session, usually within days.