Ava Christie, AASW

Ava Christie is an AASW counsellor based in Melbourne. She works with adults who feel overwhelmed by anxiety, grief, trauma, identity shifts, or relationship difficulties. Her style is warm and straightforward, aimed at helping people find clarity and feel more grounded.

Ava uses a trauma-informed and holistic approach in sessions. She listens for what matters most to each person and helps them process strong emotions. Conversations focus on understanding patterns, building awareness, and finding practical ways to cope day to day.

EMDR is one of the methods Ava draws on when past events keep causing distress. She also uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape current struggles. Client-centred work means sessions are guided by the person in front of her, not a fixed script.

Over ten years she has supported people through loss, domestic violence, fertility concerns, immigration stress, and long-standing feelings of emptiness or shame. She pays attention to how issues like dissociation, co-morbidity, and communication problems show up in relationships and daily life.

Sessions aim to be collaborative and paced to each person’s needs. Ava tries to create a non-judgemental space where people can make sense of their story and take steps toward more coherent and meaningful days.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It is often useful for anxiety, feeling stuck, or finding purpose. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) focuses on reducing the hold of distressing memories and can help when past events continue to cause fear or reactivity. Attachment-based therapy looks at how early relationship patterns affect current connections and emotional safety, which can help with trust, intimacy and communication difficulties.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs and preferences and will adapt methods together over time. That means treatments are chosen collaboratively rather than imposed, and adjustments are made as understanding grows.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking since formats are not listed here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also let people connect from different places within Australia while working with an appropriately qualified therapist who uses ACT, EMDR and attachment-based ideas as suited to the person’s goals.