Kathryn Vella , AASW

Kathryn Vella is an AASW social worker with six years of clinical experience. She supports people dealing with trauma, anxiety, relationship strain and complex life changes. Kathryn often works with women’s issues and people recovering from coercive control and emotional abuse.

Her sessions aim to be practical and clear. She combines trauma-informed care with strengths-based work and unconditional positive regard. Kathryn places value on psychoeducation so clients understand how trauma, neurodiversity and relationships affect wellbeing.

Therapy may include helping people rebuild identity and self-esteem after abuse. Kathryn uses techniques to improve emotional regulation, handle intrusive thoughts, and reduce avoidance. She also supports people navigating ADHD, autism and OCD alongside trauma-related difficulties.

Kathryn holds AASW and is finishing a Master of Clinical Psychology, with plans to begin a PhD in Clinical Psychology and Psychopharmacology in 2026. Her academic work examines coercive control and how trauma intersects with attachment and neurodevelopmental conditions.

Sessions are collaborative and tailored to each person's needs. Kathryn aims to help clients find clearer direction, develop self-compassion, and move away from unhelpful patterns. She encourages people who are ready to change to take the next step toward recovery.

Online approaches that suit trauma and life change

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and reconnect with personal values. It teaches practical exercises to reduce avoidance and take small, value-driven steps when life feels overwhelming.

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current patterns. It helps people understand relationship triggers, build safer emotional responses and develop stronger self-worth after relational harm.

Kathryn treats therapy as a collaborative search for the right approach. She will discuss different methods and tailor the work to each person's goals, needs and preferences rather than using a one-size-fits-all plan.

Online sessions can be held by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to fit busy schedules. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and teaching exercises, phone sessions work well when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging can support shorter check-ins or ongoing coaching between sessions. These options offer flexibility so people can make therapy work around family, work and other commitments.