Elizabeth "Lizzie" Elleson , PACFA

Elizabeth "Lizzie" Elleson is a PACFA counsellor with ten years' clinical experience. She brings a warm, creative and relational style to sessions. Lizzie focuses on helping people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and grief, and she pays close attention to how the body and mind connect.

Her work began in drug and alcohol services in the public sector. That period highlighted links between addiction and early childhood trauma. It also led her to roles supporting people with complex trauma and disability at a national centre of excellence in Australia.

Lizzie has worked across public, NGO and private settings. She has supported people from marginalised communities and those who identify as neurodivergent. Much of her work has involved trauma-related concerns and the long-term impacts of unresolved suffering.

In private practice in Melbourne and Sydney she focuses on complex trauma, high sensitivity, PMDD coaching and related issues such as self-esteem, relationship strain, compulsive behaviours and eating problems. Her style is trauma-informed and client-centred, with an emphasis on somatic mindfulness to help people feel steadier in their bodies.

Sessions aim to build practical skills and clearer self-understanding. Lizzie tailors her approach to each person’s needs and goals. She supports people as they work toward calmer mood, stronger boundaries and more comfortable relationships.

Therapeutic approaches you can use online

Attachment-based therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns of relating. Online work can help people notice attachment styles and practice new ways of connecting and setting boundaries. Client-centred therapy focuses on being listened to without judgement and on helping people find their own answers; it suits worries about self-esteem, life changes and relationship stress. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, or DBT, teaches concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving communication, which can be practised between sessions and adapted to online formats.

Choosing the right approach is a shared process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and practical needs to decide what to try first. Plans are adjusted over time so sessions remain relevant to what the person wants to change.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video is useful for fuller conversation and body cues, while phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and messaging can suit quick check-ins, skill reminders or ongoing support between longer sessions. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit around work, family or travel commitments.