Meet Dale Hicks
Welcome—I'm Dale.
I’m a counsellor, psychotherapist, coach, mentor—and before all that, I was a bloke navigating life like most others. I’ve served in the Air Force, worked in high-pressure tech roles, spoken on big stages, and sat in quiet rooms with people trying to make sense of it all. What I’ve learned through it all is that real change doesn’t come from someone telling you what to do. It comes from being heard. Seen. Understood. Without judgement.
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I bring a calm, grounded presence to my work. Therapy with me isn’t about ticking boxes—it’s about creating a space where you can take off the mask and breathe. It’s about helping you untangle the noise, reconnect with yourself, and move forward in a way that’s practical, meaningful, and real.
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Whether you’re dealing with stress, relationship tension, burnout, identity shifts, or just feeling stuck—I’ll hold space for the full story. No fluff. No pressure. Just honest, supportive work that centres you.
You don’t have to explain everything perfectly. You don’t have to be “together.” You just have to show up.
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I’ll meet you there.
— Dale
Counsellor · Couples Therapist · Men’s Mental Health Advocate
✨ My Approach
People often tell me they want to talk to “someone real.” That’s me. No clinical distance. No psychobabble. Just honest conversations that lead somewhere meaningful.
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My practice is trauma-informed, evidence-based, and human-first. I draw on years of academic training—Masters in Counselling & Psychotherapy, Bachelor of Psychological Science, plus certifications in NLP, Coaching, Hypnotherapy, and Spiral Dynamics—but more importantly, I draw on life.
I work with:
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Men who feel lost, stuck, or emotionally burnt out
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Couples struggling with connection, communication, or trust
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People navigating grief, identity, or purpose
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Veterans, first responders & those in high-stress roles
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Anyone who’s tired of holding it all together and ready to talk, honestly
This is a space where you get to be yourself—messy, unsure, thoughtful, direct, awkward, or all of the above. There’s no agenda except your growth and relief.
🌀 My Journey
I’ve always been fascinated by what makes people tick—not just behaviour, but belief, emotion, identity. Long before I became a therapist, I was reading philosophy, psychology, religion, and science to make sense of the world around me.
That curiosity became personal when life hit hard and I realised how much I’d been surviving instead of living.
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After years in the Air Force and IT sector, I found myself asking deeper questions—and eventually, taking a completely new path. I studied psychology, psychotherapy, coaching, and mindset work. I started presenting. Then counselling. Then holding space one-on-one with people who—like me—were tired of pretending they were fine.
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I’ve worked with everyone from CEOs to tradies, young dads to veterans, teachers to teens. And no matter the role, I keep coming back to this: we all need somewhere safe to drop the mask, tell the truth, and be met with something more than a nod and a checklist.​
That’s the space I hold.
🌱 What I Can Support You With
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Men’s mental health & emotional regulation
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Couples therapy & relationship reconnection
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Anger, grief & emotional suppression
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Life direction, self-doubt & identity shifts
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Trauma, burnout & high-performance stress
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Communication & boundary building
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Veteran & first responder support
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Navigating masculinity in a changing world
🧡 Why I Do This Work
Because I know what it’s like to carry things silently.
To hold it together on the outside while inside feels like chaos. To be the strong one, the fixer, the one who pushes through—until it stops working. Until the cracks show. And no one really knows what to do with your truth when you finally speak it.
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I do this work because I’ve lived the parts people often don’t talk about—the burnout, the numbness, the pressure to be everything for everyone. And I know how powerful it is to finally sit in front of someone who gets it. Who won’t flinch. Who listens without judgement, without an agenda, and helps you reconnect the dots in a way that actually makes sense.
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This isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating the kind of space where people feel safe enough to be real—maybe for the first time.
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That’s what I needed. That’s what I now offer.
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Whether you’re overwhelmed, angry, unsure, or just done doing it all alone—I’ll be here. Calm. Present. And fully in it with you.
Tiny Warriors Studios: Where Gaming Meets Growth
Alongside his work at Zanti, Dale is also the founder of Tiny Warriors Studio—a space where gaming culture and therapy collide in the best possible way. Designed for gamers, parents, and veterans, Tiny Warriors offers a unique path to mental wellness through the language of play, strategy, and story.
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Through tabletop games, miniatures, and immersive metaphors, Dale helps clients explore their inner world in a way that feels accessible, familiar, and empowering. Whether you're navigating life’s hardest quests or seeking tools to level up your emotional resilience, Tiny Warriors is where you can press pause, reset, and re-enter the game with clarity.