Counsellor profile
Vivien Ridgway, AASW
Australia
AASW social worker - anger and relationships
Continue with VivienKey details
- CredentialsAASW
- RegistrationAASW, Australia / 458167
- Experience36 years
- LanguagesEnglish
- LocationAustralia
About
- Attachment ideas
- CBT techniques
- Mindfulness practice
About Vivien
Vivien Ridgway is an AASW social worker with 36 years of professional experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, relationship strains, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions and anger. Her practice also covers parenting, LGBT and gender identity concerns, sleep and eating issues, and career-related stress.
Vivien approaches sessions simply and directly. She listens, asks practical questions and helps people map out clear steps forward. Conversations cover how patterns form, what keeps problems going, and what small changes might reduce tension day to day.
Her background includes long-term work in community and clinical settings where she supported people through major life changes and complex emotional concerns. That history informs a focus on attachment, coping skills and improving communication rather than quick fixes or sole reliance on insight.
In practice Vivien uses client-centred conversation alongside cognitive behavioural tools and mindfulness exercises. She also draws on dialectical behaviour strategies and attachment-based ideas when they fit a person's needs. Sessions often mix talking, practical exercises and straightforward planning to help manage feelings like anger and overwhelm.
People who find her approach useful tend to want a clear plan and hands-on techniques. She guides clients to set achievable goals, practise new skills between sessions and track what works. To begin, visitors are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How sessions work
How Vivien uses practical approaches online
Vivien draws on cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness as core tools. CBT helps identify unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns and teaches step-by-step skills to test and change them. Mindfulness practice gives short exercises to notice thoughts and bodily tension, which can reduce reactivity and improve focus.She also uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationship patterns affect current reactions. That perspective can help when anger or relationship conflict repeats over time. Together these approaches are used to build skills, improve communication and reduce intense emotional spikes.
Finding the right mix of methods is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to choose techniques that match their goals, preferences and everyday life. That means trying tools, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan as progress is made.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the current options before booking. Online sessions can be practical for fitting therapy into a busy week, allowing shorter check-ins, avoiding travel time and offering the option to work without being on camera if that suits someone better.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
36+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
Vivien works with stress, anxiety, anger, relationship issues, trauma and related problems such as grief, addictions and parenting concerns.
What is her therapeutic style?
She uses a client-centred style with practical tools. Sessions combine listening with skills practice and clear planning.
How much experience does she have?
She has 36 years of professional experience as a social worker, which includes work in community and clinical settings.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is listed as AASW and is based in Australia.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I get started?
Use 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 anyone is unsafe, use the crisis numbers.