Shagufta Chaudhary , ACA

Shagufta Chaudhary uses a collaborative, person-centred approach to help people manage stress, anxiety and relationship concerns. She is an ACA counsellor with 21 years of experience and prefers working in a warm, non-judgemental way. She often goes by Shay and aims to help people rebuild self-worth and confidence.

Shay provides one-on-one sessions and also runs work with couples and family matters in a way that encourages honest conversation. She focuses on practical steps to reduce fear and anxiety and to strengthen coping after loss or trauma. Sessions are conversational and aim to make change feel manageable.

Her practice brings together attachment-based ideas with cognitive and emotion-focused work. That means she pays attention to how relationships shape feelings, and uses straightforward strategies to shift thinking and emotional responses. She also draws on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to teach skills for managing overwhelming emotions and impulsivity.

Shay has particular experience supporting people through grief, abuse, low self-esteem and panic. She also helps with communication problems, control issues, body image and multicultural concerns. Her long experience in Australia has informed a practical, culturally aware style.

People who meet her usually find a steady, empathetic therapist who listens first and offers clear options next. She encourages small experiments between sessions so progress can be noticed and built on over time.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Attachment-based work focuses on how early and current relationships affect feelings and reactions; online sessions use this lens to look at connection patterns and build safer ways of relating. Client-centred therapy emphasises being heard and respected, so sessions focus on active listening and helping the client find their own solutions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) gives clear tools to change unhelpful thinking and behaviour, and online appointments can include practical exercises and thought records during or between sessions.

Choosing the right approach is part of therapy. The therapist works together with the client to decide what fits best, based on goals, preferences and how someone responds in early sessions. That collaborative process helps tailor techniques and decide whether to emphasise skills work, emotional processing or relationship patterns.

Online formats offered include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video is well suited to deeper conversational work, phone sessions can be a simple check-in or fit into a busy day, and messaging or live chat can support short updates or skills coaching. These options make it easier to work around work, family and other commitments while keeping therapy consistent and practical.