Counsellor profile
Karinna Johnstone, AASW
Australia
AASW social worker - relationships and coping
Continue with KarinnaWhere Karinna stands
- Credentials
- AASW
- Registration
- AASW, Australia / 652890
- Experience
- 18 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Australia
About
- Attachment-based work
- CBT and narrative
- Stress and codependency
About Karinna
Karinna Johnstone is an AASW social worker with 18 years of experience in community and clinical settings. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem and depression. She also supports people dealing with relationship strain, parenting pressures, sleep problems, career stress and codependency concerns.
Karinna has a long background working with people from many walks of life. Her practice has included work with disability, homelessness, addiction, parental conflict and complex mental health needs. That experience informs how she notices patterns of coping, attachment and avoidance in everyday life.
Her sessions focus on practical steps as well as the stories people tell about themselves. She uses attachment-based ideas to look at how relationships shape behaviour. She also draws on cognitive behavioural techniques to spot and change unhelpful thinking, and narrative approaches to reframe personal stories.
Conversations are straightforward and goal-oriented. Karinna works alongside clients to build motivation, increase self-esteem and develop skills for managing trauma reactions, grief and anxiety. She helps people set boundaries, practise saying no and make changes that fit their day-to-day life.
People who come because they keep putting others first will find concrete tools and reflective work. Karinna encourages small, achievable changes and checks progress as work continues. To start, she asks people to complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.
How sessions work
Approaches used in online sessions
Karinna commonly uses attachment-based work and cognitive behavioural therapy in her practice. Attachment-based work looks at how early and current relationships shape how people react, form bonds and set boundaries; it helps when patterns repeat in adult relationships. Cognitive behavioural therapy focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing them with simple experiments and behaviour changes to reduce anxiety and improve mood.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Karinna works collaboratively with clients to decide which methods fit best, based on their goals, practical needs and preferences. She checks in regularly and adjusts the plan as progress is made.
Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm the options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling around work or family life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They can also be useful when quieter surroundings or lower bandwidth are required, because some options need less technology than others. Ask about the specific session types offered when you complete the matching questionnaire to plan what will work for you.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
18+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem, depression, relationship and family issues, sleeping problems, parenting strain, career stress, ADHD and codependency concerns.
What is her approach in sessions?
She combines attachment-based ideas, client-centred listening, cognitive behavioural techniques, mindfulness and narrative work to focus on practical change and understanding relationship patterns.
How much experience does she have?
Karinna has 18 years of experience working across community and clinical settings with a wide range of needs.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an AASW social worker based in Australia.
Can I work with her if I live outside Australia?
International clients are not currently accepted; sessions are offered in English to people in Australia.
What session formats are available?
Confirm current session options before booking by using the platform's online therapy options and matching steps, as the biography does not list specific formats.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies by location; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then 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 at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.