Shannan Marano , ACA

Shannan Marano is an ACA counsellor who has worked in community settings for three years. She has worked with Aboriginal Medical Services, women's refuge centres and employment services. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse.

Shannan aims to treat people with respect, sensitivity and compassion. She adapts sessions to the person's needs and prefers a practical, collaborative style. Conversations are direct but caring, with space to reflect and make small changes that add up over time.

Her work often looks at patterns from early relationships, attachment wounds and how these affect trust and connection now. She also supports people working through body image concerns, guilt and shame, grief and end-of-life issues, and the stresses that come with caregiving.

Shannan uses approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviours. She also draws on attachment-based ideas to rebuild safety in relationships and the Gottman Method for practical relationship skills.

Sessions can include talk therapy, skill-building exercises and goal-focused planning. Shannan encourages small, achievable steps so changes feel manageable. She welcomes questions about how therapy could fit into a person's life and what to expect in the early sessions.

Approaches that translate to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and learn how to live in line with their values. It can be useful for stress, anxiety and difficulties around motivation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and practising new behaviours to reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at early relationship patterns and how they shape current connections; it can help with trust, abandonment worries and communication struggles.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with a person about their goals, preferences and needs, then suggest methods to try. This happens collaboratively, and approaches can be adjusted as progress is made.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging to increase flexibility. Video calls let people use visual cues and longer conversational work. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text work well for brief updates, homework check-ins or when someone prefers writing to speaking. These options help therapy fit around work, caregiving or other commitments.