Amy Shumack , AASW

Amy Shumack supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship and intimacy concerns, trauma and abuse, and low self-esteem. She works with issues such as abandonment, attachment difficulties, body image, guilt and shame, loneliness, sexuality and life purpose. Amy is named up front so visitors know who they will be reading about. Amy is an AASW social worker with eight years of clinical experience. She practises in Australia and brings a warm, compassionate style to sessions. Conversations are respectful and down-to-earth, focused on what matters most to the client. Her sessions combine practical therapy and body-based work. Amy uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness to help people notice thoughts and choose actions that fit their values. Attachment-based and narrative approaches help people make sense of relationship patterns and rewrite unhelpful stories about themselves. Amy also offers somatic tools such as breathwork and nervous system support to help people feel calmer in their bodies. These techniques are used alongside talking therapy to reduce reactivity and increase bodily awareness rather than as standalone interventions. Her style is collaborative and empowering. Amy aims to create a space where people feel heard and can try new ways of coping. She encourages small, achievable steps that build confidence and gradual change. People seeking support begin by choosing a session format that suits them and exploring goals together. Amy discusses options and tailors the approach to each person’s needs and preferences.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings and commit to actions that align with their values. It is useful for anxiety, stress and difficulties that come from getting stuck in avoidance. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in close relationships and helps people understand and change how they connect with others, which can ease intimacy and abandonment concerns. Client-Centred Therapy centres the person’s own experience, offering empathetic listening and support so clients can find their own solutions and build self-trust.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Amy will discuss these methods with each person and decide together which strategies fit best. The process is collaborative and adapts to the client's goals, pace and preferences rather than following a single preset path.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, giving flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. Video is helpful for face-to-face interaction, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, chat and messaging suit quick check-ins or quieter sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives while keeping the focus on practical change and emotional regulation.