Counsellor profile
Kathryn Vella, AASW
Australia
AASW social worker - trauma and anger
Continue with KathrynKey details
- CredentialsAASW
- RegistrationAASW, Australia / 484038
- Experience6 years
- LanguagesEnglish
- LocationAustralia
About
- coercive control
- schema work
- CBT and ACT
About Kathryn
Kathryn Vella is an AASW social worker with six years of clinical and professional experience. She lives in Germany and works with adults dealing with stress, anxiety, relationships, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, addictions, grief, sleep and eating problems, anger, career shifts, ADHD and related concerns.
She gives straightforward help for people affected by coercive control and emotional abuse. Kathryn blends psychosocial and sociolegal perspectives so therapy considers both personal experience and the wider context that shapes it. Sessions include psychoeducation so clients learn what coercive control looks like and how it affects thinking and feeling.
Kathryn uses a mix of approaches to address trauma and deep-rooted patterns. She draws on schema ideas to identify childhood patterns that keep repeating. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy tools are used to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy supports practical values-based steps when feelings are intense.
Her practice also considers how neurodevelopmental differences interact with trauma. Kathryn supports people with ADHD and autism to understand how regulation, identity and relationships are affected. That work often blends psychoeducation with hands-on strategies for daily life.
She is completing a Master of Clinical Psychology and will begin a PhD in Clinical Psychology and Psychopharmacology in 2026. Her research focuses on coercive control and the neurobiological and clinical factors that shape recovery. Kathryn asks clients to use the site scheduling system to manage bookings and cancellations.
How sessions work
How Kathryn uses therapy approaches online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice painful thoughts and still take steps that match their values. Online work with ACT tends to focus on short exercises, values clarification and practical behavioural experiments to try between sessions.Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is about identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them against reality. In an online setting CBT usually involves written worksheets, thought records and behavioural tasks that clients complete in daily life and review in the next session.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kathryn will talk with the client about goals, preferences and what feels workable, then suggest ACT, CBT or schema-focused tasks as needed. That collaborative planning helps shape what online sessions look like and what to practise between meetings.
The therapist's biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let clients use written exercises or screen-shared worksheets during sessions. The focus is on practical tools that slot into everyday life rather than lengthy theory talks.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
6+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of anger problems does she help with?
She works with adults struggling with snapping at loved ones, built-up resentment, workplace frustration and the emotional fallout from abusive relationships.
How would she approach anger in therapy?
She combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to change unhelpful reactions and build values-based responses, with schema ideas for longer-standing patterns.
How much experience does she have?
She has six years of clinical and professional experience in mental health, forensic mental health, psychology and life coaching.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an AASW social worker based in Germany and practices with an Australian professional credential.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
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 and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule your first session through the platform's scheduling system.
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 anyone is unsafe, use the crisis numbers.