Counsellor profile
Sarah O'Sullivan, AASW
Australia
AASW social worker - Stress and Addictions
Continue with SarahWhere Sarah stands
- Credentials
- AASW
- Registration
- AASW, Australia / 507886
- Experience
- 6 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Australia
About
- Attachment-based work
- Mindfulness therapy
- Motivational interviewing
About Sarah
Sarah O'Sullivan is an AASW social worker with six years in direct therapeutic work. She draws on long experience in government and non-government services and on her own lived experience of chronic mental illness. She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, parenting and depression, and she names codependency as one of her focus areas.
Her background began as a lived experience worker within Queensland Health more than 15 years ago. That early work shaped how she supports people now. She knows how hard it can be to find the right supports and the hurdles people face when unwell.
Sarah offers advocacy and practical supports alongside therapy. She writes reports for court or NDIS and can provide domestic violence perpetrator mapping using the Safe and Together model. She also offers functional capacity assessments using the Allen's model of cognitive function.
In sessions she uses attachment-based methods, client-centred listening, mindfulness exercises, motivational interviewing and narrative approaches. That mix lets her address parenting and parental capacity, chronic and complex mental health, addiction relapse planning, and recovery coaching in concrete steps.
People who are tired of pleasing others or losing themselves in relationships may find her approach direct and pragmatic. She helps people talk through family problems, abandonment concerns and caregiver stress, and works on skills for setting boundaries and staying present during hard conversations.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Attachment-based work focuses on how early and current relationships shape trust and connection. Online sessions can look at patterns such as people-pleasing and difficulty saying no, and help map new ways of relating. Client-centred therapy involves listening and reflecting so the person leads the pace; it suits conversations about parenting, abandonment and family problems. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and grounding skills to reduce anxiety and urges, which can be used between sessions as relapse-prevention tools.Finding the right approach is part of what she does with clients. She treats the selection of methods as collaborative, checking in about goals and preferences and adjusting the mix of attachment work, narrative exercises or motivational interviewing as needed. The focus is on practical next steps rather than on labels.
The original biography does not specify which session formats are offered, so confirm current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - shorter check-ins during a lunch break, sessions that avoid travel time, or the option to use audio-only when bandwidth is limited. These practical benefits help people keep therapy consistent while managing parenting, work and caregiving demands.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
6+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, parenting and depression, and lists codependency among her focus areas.
What is her therapeutic style?
She uses attachment-based therapy, client-centred listening, mindfulness practices, motivational interviewing and narrative therapy to guide practical change.
How much experience does she have?
She has six years of direct therapeutic experience and over 15 years working in related roles, including as a lived experience worker in Queensland Health.
What credential and location does she hold?
She is listed with the AASW and practises in Australia.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she accept international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions charged?
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 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.