A third perspective - built together
3rd Mind was founded to create structured and safe spaces for emotional awareness, responsibility, and lasting change.
Why we started
We started 3rd Mind because lived experience matters, and so does evidence. We were looking for a way to bring both together in practice, clear and reliable while remaining relational and personal.
Duan’s life included decades shaped by addiction and institutional systems before meaningful change became possible. That change did not come from force or quick solutions. It came from being heard, being challenged with care, and learning to take responsibility without shame.
Scott’s path developed through sustained self-reflection and ethical practice. He recognised that wellbeing grows when actions align with values, and when support is steady rather than reactive.
3rd Mind was created to bring those orientations together. Our work combines structured psychoeducation with creative and relational processes. The focus is not on dependency or promises of transformation, but on helping people recognise patterns, build consistency, and move forward with greater clarity and choice.
Our name
The name 3rd Mind refers to the clarity that can form when two people are genuinely connected.
The phrase has appeared in earlier artistic traditions to describe how something new can form in the space between collaborating minds. Our use of the term is grounded in therapeutic and educational practice.
When lived experience, careful attention, structure, and reflection are present together, understanding deepens and practical next steps become visible.
Our principles
Responsibility
Ownership without shame.
Consistency
Small actions sustained over time.
Reflection
Understanding patterns before reacting.
Independence
Change that continues beyond our sessions.
Founders
Duan Stevenson
Duan is a psychoeducation and ANZACATA-registered therapeutic arts facilitator, PACFA-registered counsellor, and co-founder of 3rd Mind. He delivers alcohol and other drug (AOD) psychoeducation through structured, experiential sessions that use role play, creative processes, and practical tools to build insight and skill.
He holds a Master of Therapeutic Arts Practice, with training in AOD, training and assessment, and governance. At 3rd Mind, he designs and develops programs and resources, tailoring sessions to each person’s goals across NDIS, justice, community, and reintegration settings.
Duan’s practice is informed by lived experience of dependence, recovery, and time spent within institutional systems. This shapes his commitment to compassionate challenge, accountability, relational safety, and steady change.
Scott Walters
Scott is co-founder and director of 3rd Mind, overseeing governance, compliance, financial systems, data collection, and digital infrastructure.
He develops and maintains the organisational systems that support program delivery, documentation, and reporting. This includes refining program materials and aligning them with relevant research, while maintaining systems that are clear and practical.
Scott served as a director within the not-for-profit sector for over five years and has experience tutoring at postgraduate level. He holds a Diploma of Governance, which informs his approach to accountability and organisational responsibility.
His work is also shaped by lived experience of chronic pain and mental health challenges. These experiences inform his commitment to steadiness, clarity, and measured decision-making.
Reach out
