- Attachment-based work
- CBT techniques
- Emotion-focused methods
About Joanna
Joanna Ridgeway is an ACA counsellor based in Australia with 14 years of professional experience. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem and depression. Joanna writes plainly and focuses on practical conversation rather than jargon. She uses straightforward questions and listening to help people sort out what matters most.
Joanna draws on attachment-based ideas to look at how early connections shape current patterns. She also uses client-centred methods to follow the person’s priorities, and cognitive behavioural techniques to spot thought patterns that make problems worse. Emotionally-Focused Therapy and the Gottman Method inform her work with relationship issues and communication problems.
Sessions tend to focus on what a person wants to change now, and on small, practical steps to try between meetings. Joanna helps people name feelings of guilt or shame that come from family, faith or past choices, and then notices how those feelings affect behaviour and decisions. She pays attention to patterns of closeness and distance in relationships and how they feed stress.
Joanna has supported people through a wide range of life events, including illness, caregiving strain, divorce and grief. She also works with concerns such as body image, commitment worries, codependency and adjustment after trauma. Her approach is collaborative and direct, aiming to clarify what feels achievable next.
People who book with Joanna usually want clear conversation, practical techniques and steady attention to emotional experience. To begin they are invited to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
Therapy approaches and how they translate online
Joanna uses Attachment-Based Therapy to look at patterns of closeness and distance in relationships. This approach helps when guilt or shame is tied to family roles, abandonment fears or repeated conflict. Client-Centred Therapy shapes sessions around the person’s priorities, with the therapist following the person’s lead and reflecting what matters to them. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - CBT - focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and trying small behavioural experiments to test new ways of responding.Choosing an approach is part of the work. Joanna will talk with the person about goals, preferences and what feels most useful. Together they decide whether attachment ideas, client-centred listening or CBT techniques - or a mix - will be tried first, and adjust that plan as the work progresses.
Confirm the exact online session formats before booking because they are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around work, medical appointments or caregiving responsibilities. It also makes shorter check-ins simpler, or lets someone use audio only when bandwidth is low or being on camera is difficult. The practical aim is to make meetings fit into everyday life while testing approaches that address guilt, shame and relationship patterns.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
14+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, self-esteem issues and depression, plus related topics like abandonment and caregiver stress.
How would she approach feelings of shame or guilt?
Joanna helps name and track those feelings, then looks at how they affect thoughts and behaviour using conversational techniques and practical steps to try between sessions.
How much experience does she have?
She has 14 years of professional experience supporting people with a wide range of concerns.
What credential does Joanna hold and where is she based?
Joanna is an ACA counsellor and practices from Australia.
Are sessions offered in other languages or to people overseas?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What formats are available for sessions?
Please confirm current session options before booking as formats are not specified here.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.