Profile / Australia
Karinna Johnstone, AASW
Australia
AASW social worker - anxiety and trauma
See online therapy options- Anxiety and stress
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
About Karinna
Karinna Johnstone is an AASW social worker with 18 years of experience. She helps people manage anxiety, stress, trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem, depression and relationship and family concerns.
She has worked with people from many backgrounds and life stages. That work has included supporting people living with disability, homelessness, addiction and complex mental health needs. Karinna also has experience helping people cope with multiple forms of trauma and abuse.
In practical sessions she focuses on building motivation and confidence. She helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and habits, and then try different ways of responding. The aim is to learn skills that make day-to-day life easier.
Karinna sees the person as the expert in their own life story. She uses that viewpoint to guide goal setting and planning. Sessions are collaborative and grounded in everyday problems and choices.
Her approach draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, attachment-based ideas, client-centred methods and mindfulness. She also uses narrative techniques and solution-focused tools to work on specific problems like sleeping, parenting, anger and career stress.
People who want straightforward, skills-based support will find concrete strategies and steps in her sessions. To begin, the site asks people to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How her approaches translate to online work
Karinna commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and attachment-based ideas alongside client-centred methods. CBT focuses on spotting thought and behaviour patterns and practising new responses to reduce anxiety or mood problems. Attachment-based approaches look at how early relationships shape current patterns and help people shift repeated ways of relating. Client-centred work prioritises the person's perspective and uses supportive listening to shape goals.Choosing the right mix of methods is part of the process. She works with each person to agree what to try first and adjusts based on what helps. That collaboration includes setting clear, practical goals and checking progress regularly.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. The focus is on practical strategies that can be used between sessions to manage sleep, parenting strain, work stress, ADHD-related challenges and other everyday problems.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
18+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem, depression, relationship and family issues, sleeping and parenting concerns, anger and career stress among other areas.
How does she use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
She uses CBT to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and habits, and to practise different responses that reduce distress and improve daily functioning.
What is her background and experience?
She is an AASW social worker with 18 years of experience working across disability, homelessness, addiction and complex mental health presentations.
What credentials and location apply?
She holds AASW credentials and practises in Australia.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside Australia work with her?
She is not accepting international clients.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A registration can be checked with the body that issued it.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.