Josephine Sultana, AASW

Josephine Sultana is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker registered with the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). She holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Counselling and Human Services, with a specialisation in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT).

Across more than 15 years in public and private mental health services, she has supported adolescents, adults, parents and older adults through a broad range of emotional, psychological and lifestyle challenges. Since establishing her private practice in 2016, she has focused on helping people manage depression, anxiety, trauma, stress and burnout, as well as women’s emotional health concerns including hormone-related issues such as PCOS.

Josephine combines evidence-based psychological therapies with an integrative viewpoint that recognises links between physical health, gut function and emotional wellbeing. She has undertaken further training as a Registered Integrative Health Practitioner Level 2 (IHP2) and holds professional registration with the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT). This additional training allows her to include complementary, evidence-informed strategies alongside psychological work when appropriate.

Her style is warm, collaborative and grounded in research-informed practice. She tailors treatment using approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and attachment-informed methods. Josephine aims to help clients build self-awareness, shift unhelpful patterns and develop practical tools for long-term emotional wellbeing. She also offers functional assessments, such as the Organic Acids Test (OAT) and Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA), to identify physiological factors that may be affecting mood, energy and stress tolerance.

Integrative therapeutic approaches for online support

Josephine draws on Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) to help clients connect with and make sense of their emotional experiences. EFT is aimed at deepening emotional awareness and can be especially useful for relationship difficulties, grief and processing trauma by working with emotions rather than only thoughts.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is used to support values-based action and emotional flexibility. ACT helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without needing to be ruled by them, which can be helpful for anxiety, stress, depression and coping with life changes.

Attachment-Based Therapy helps explore early relationship patterns and how they influence current connections and emotional responses. This approach can be helpful for people working with abandonment, attachment issues, adoption and blended family challenges.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Josephine works with clients to identify which methods fit their needs, goals and preferences, and adapts the plan as therapy progresses in partnership with the client and other appropriately qualified or registered professionals when relevant.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - clients can choose video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to fit their schedule and comfort. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, access support from home, and integrate therapy into busy lives while working with an experienced therapist.