- Guilt and shame support
- Mindfulness and ACT
- Trauma informed practice
About Vanessa
Vanessa Thomas is an AASW social worker with three years' experience practising in Australia. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem and challenges around guilt and shame. Vanessa also supports those coping with depression, trauma and relationship or family problems.
She takes a person-centred, trauma-informed approach. Sessions focus on short, clear steps - noticing difficult feelings, understanding what keeps them going, and trying out small changes. Vanessa uses mindfulness and values work alongside cognitive tools to help people respond differently to painful thoughts and memories.
Vanessa has experience with people living with complex mental health concerns and with survivors of trauma. She also works with issues such as compassion fatigue, caregiver stress, codependency, dissociation and avoidant personality patterns. Practical topics like sleep, workplace stress and parenting are included in her work.
In therapy she draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Client-Centred techniques, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Therapy, plus mindfulness practice. She adapts methods to each person's needs and goals rather than using a single fixed approach.
Vanessa practices from Queensland and notes that time-zone differences may make scheduling difficult for people in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. Sessions are conducted in English and use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and choose actions that match their values. ACT practices often include short exercises and values clarification that suit a conversational online session. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviours; it uses simple home tasks and worksheets that can be practised between appointments. Client-Centred Therapy emphasises a respectful, listening stance and helps people feel heard as they make sense of their experience.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Vanessa will discuss goals and preferences and together decide which methods to try first. That collaborative process means techniques can shift as needs change, mixing mindfulness, cognitive tools and emotion-focused work where helpful.
The biography does not specify exact session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Therapists commonly adapt exercises, breathing practices and values tasks so they work in a single session and as short between-session activities, helping people practise new ways of responding to guilt, shame and stress in everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
3+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, grief, depression and concerns such as guilt and shame, relationship and family problems, trauma and sleep difficulties.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She uses mindfulness and values-based work alongside cognitive tools to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try small, practical changes in how they respond to painful thoughts and feelings.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She has three years' experience working in Australia, including with people living with complex mental health concerns and survivors of trauma.
Which credential does she hold and where is she located?
She is an AASW social worker and practises in Queensland, Australia.
Can I work with her if I live outside Australia?
Sessions are conducted in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions are delivered via a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I get started with a first appointment?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.