Currently, Dr Rebecca Jackson is the principal psychologist and executive leadership coach for the Australian Army Senior Leadership Team, the visiting fellow in strategic leadership development for the Australian War College and director of her own consulting Psychology and Coaching company based in Canberra, The Jackson Company Pty Ltd.
Rebecca’s history with the ADF spans more than 24 years. She served for 15 years in the Australian Army Reserve, first as a medical assistant for 4 years and then as a commissioned officer in the Royal Australian Corps of Transport for 11 years. She has supported the ADF since then as a psychologist both in the APS and as a private consultant psychologist for the past 10 years.
Her father Ron Wade-Ferrell and four uncles Douglas, Thomas, Eris and Robert also served in the Australian Army and Airforce respectively, with two uncles decorated WW2 veterans. Her husband Daniel continues to serve in the Infantry (AARES).
Rebecca has been actively involved in promoting strong mental health outcomes and wellbeing for service personnel including resilience programs and most recently has focused her professional attention on strategic leadership and the role senior leaders play in ensuring positive mental health outcomes for their commands.
Rebecca became involved with Soldier on in 2020 following her participation in “March On” and supporting our community during the COVID 19 period. She is passionate about promoting the fantastic contribution contemporary veterans make to the Australian community and use her professional expertise and network to support their transition beyond their service. She has a keen interest in the research on post-traumatic growth and moral injury recovery and is especially interested in bringing these stories to light.
Rebecca published her first book “The Journey of You” in 2019, a personal and professional development resource about overcoming adversity and living your best life. She is currently progressing her second book “Where Poppies Thrive: Leadership for a Harsh World” through publication.
She hosts a psychology radio show and podcast called “Dr Bec Live” weekly, she loves skiing, bushwalking and exploring the great outdoors with her family, including her four young children Henry, James, Beatrice and Florence.