Dr Durkin graduated with his PhD from the University of Nottingham in 2010 under the supervision of Professor Stephen Joseph and Dr Hugh Middleton. He is the Chair of Research at the Traumatic Incident Reduction Association in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He had previously worked at Ty Gwyn, a military psychiatric unit in North Wales where positive changes in intractable trauma cases were reported by the psychistrist Dr D.A. Jones and the Care Manager Mr Michael Crawshaw (testimonial available). Cases were drawn from Combat Stress and various NHS Primary Care Trusts. In 2001/2002 John acted as a mental health professional with the Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance  (POPPA) at the New York Police Department. He was a frequent visitor and supporter of the psychological support effort at the Counseling Services Unit at the Fire Department of New York following the 9/11 attacks. He is also an approved instructor of Critical Incident Stress Management with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation.

Dr John Durkin is accomplished in a range of psychological techniques that see personal growth, rather than mental disorder, emerge out of traumatic experience. First amongst these techniques is Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR), recently listed as 'evidence-based' by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the US-government health department.

Dr Durkin seeks to introduce TIR into the National Health Service (NHS) to see accelerated healing, enhanced pain management and minimal drug use in hospitals and clinics. He also anticipates TIR training and services being available within communities to see trauma resolution through peer-support.