Karinna Johnstone, AASW

Karinna Johnstone is an AASW social worker with 18 years of practice helping people who are facing anxiety, grief, trauma and other life stressors. She works with individuals to build confidence, manage difficult feelings, and find practical ways to cope when life becomes overwhelming.

Her approach begins with listening to each person’s story and treating them as the expert in their own life. Sessions focus on small, achievable steps that support clearer thinking and calmer responses. She draws on cognitive behavioural ideas, narrative techniques and mindfulness to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try new ways of responding.

Karinna has a long history of supporting people living with complex challenges. That includes help for those dealing with trauma and abuse, mood difficulties like depression and bipolar, and ongoing stress from caregiving, chronic illness or major life changes. She also supports people confronting relationship strain, parenting pressures and work-related stress.

Practical tools are a feature of her work. Clients can expect plain-language explanations, goal-setting, and strategies to manage sleep, anger and overwhelm. She emphasises strengths and builds on what already works in someone’s life.

Karinna aims to create a calm, respectful space where people can try things out and adjust as needed. Her focus on attachment, story work and present-focused techniques suits people wanting both emotional understanding and hands-on coping skills.

How therapeutic approaches shape online counselling

Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on patterns in close relationships and how early bonds shape current reactions; it helps people understand relationship fears and build more secure ways of relating. Client-Centred Therapy centres on respectful listening and the person’s own goals, giving space for someone to find solutions that fit their life. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings and actions and offers practical ways to test and change unhelpful thinking patterns.

Finding the right blend of methods is part of the therapy process. Karinna works collaboratively to identify which approaches suit a person’s needs and preferences, then adjusts the mix as goals evolve. Clients are invited to give feedback so sessions remain relevant and useful.

If you are considering online therapy, check the current session options before booking since specific formats are not listed in the biography. Online work can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins between in-depth sessions. It also gives flexibility to choose camera-off conversations, phone talks with less data use, or standard video sessions if available. Discussing practical needs early helps tailor session length and style to everyday schedules and coping goals.