About Pharus Wellbeing
We’re changing how Australia talks about mental health
You care about your team. You want a workplace where people feel safe to speak up.
But when it comes to mental health, you’re not sure where to start.
At Pharus Wellbeing, we believe mental health conversations shouldn’t be scary, clinical or awkward. They should feel like a natural part of work, leadership and life
We work with high-pressure, high-stress industries where people are used to “getting on with it”.
We work with everyday people (especially Aussie blokes) who are often overlooked in this space.
Why we do what we do
Daniel McCullough’s not a suit-and-slide-deck kind of trainer. He’s worked with hospital wards, Australian Defence Force and with teams who are flat out and burnt out.
He started out as a PE teacher, but quickly realised he wanted to make a bigger difference. That led him into the healthcare world - where he rolled out wellbeing programs and strategies for 6,000+ hospital staff at a leading Melbourne Children’s Hospital. Then into government, leading mental health training for 10,000+ workers across Queensland.
He’s trained nurses, FIFO and ADF crews, construction workers, transport teams and agriculture managers. And every single time, the same thing shows up: good people, doing tough jobs, who care but feel out of their depth when someone’s struggling.
Daniel gets the pressure of high-risk, high-stress roles. He gets the “just get on with it” culture. And he gets how bloody hard it can be to start a mental health conversation when you don’t know what to say.
The meaning behind Pharus
Pharus means lighthouse in Latin.
When someone is going through a hard time, they don’t need someone to ‘fix’ them.
They need someone to show up—to listen, to guide, to support.
Because sometimes, the biggest difference you can make is simply being a guiding light.
Meet Daniel, Founder and Lead Trainer
G’day, I’m Daniel McCullough.
I’ve been the guy who wanted to help but didn’t know how.
I’ve also been the one struggling, not knowing how to speak up.
I started Pharus to help people feel less awkward and more confident having mental health conversations, especially in industries that are often left out of the conversation.
These days, I travel around Brisbane and Australia, running sessions that are practical, stigma-free and (dare I say) enjoyable.
Outside of work, you’ll find me hanging out with my wife and our dog, watching the footy or perfecting my golf swing.
What we care about
We give back to what we believe in
Pharus Wellbeing proudly supports TradeMutt and TIACS (This Is A Conversation Starter), started by two legends in the mental health space.
TIACS provide free mental health support for the Aussie blue collar community. who are making conversations more visible and support more accessible.
And we’re right behind them. A portion of every workshop we deliver goes directly to TIACS to help them continue offering free counselling and support to the people who need it most.
Our mission and vision
Mission
To make mental health conversations easy by giving leaders, workplaces and communities the confidence to step up, ask the right questions and support their people.
Vision
A future where supporting mental health is second nature. Where people feel safe speaking up. Where every workplace leader knows how to look out for their team - just like they would in a physical first-aid situation.
Want to learn how to support your team or community?
You don’t have to be a psychologist to make a difference. You just need to know how to start the conversation.