La Rue De Vries, AASW

La Rue De Vries is an AASW counsellor with seven years' experience working in Australia. She focuses on practical support for people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationships, trauma and abuse, low self esteem and depression. La Rue aims to make first steps feel manageable and straightforward when life feels hard.

She creates a calm space where thoughts and feelings can be shared without judgment. Conversations are plain and direct, with a focus on what is troubling the person now and what they want to change. La Rue works alongside each person to find clearer ways of thinking and acting.

Her approach draws on several evidence-based methods to help people notice what matters most to them and take small steps towards it. Therapy sessions look at practical skills for coping with emotion, and ways to reshape unhelpful thinking. Work with relationships often focuses on how attachment and communication show up day to day.

La Rue also supports people facing longer-term challenges such as chronic illness, caregiver stress, ageing concerns and grief after separation. She pays attention to how past wounds and patterns of attachment affect current choices and coping.

Sessions are collaborative and paced to each person's readiness. La Rue encourages gentle experiments between sessions so progress can be reviewed and adjusted. The emphasis is on doable changes that fit into everyday life and help restore a sense of agency and calm.

How her approaches translate to online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take small committed actions even when feelings are difficult; it is useful for anxiety, chronic health challenges and low mood. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early bonds shape present-day relationships and communication, which can be helpful for relationship strain, separation and patterns of closeness or avoidance. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting and testing unhelpful thoughts and learning coping skills for stress and depression.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. La Rue will discuss different methods and tailor a plan based on the person’s goals, needs and preferences. Decision making is collaborative and reviewed as progress unfolds.

The practical benefit of remote work is that therapy can fit more easily into a busy week and reduce travel time. Online sessions can also make it simpler to check in during a short break, use screen-shared worksheets or practise skills in the moment. Confirm the current session options with the provider before booking so arrangements match what the person needs.