Alana Russell

Alana Russell is a counsellor who draws on trauma-informed care and cognitive behavioural therapy techniques. She keeps sessions practical and focused on what matters now. People often come to her feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression or the fallout from trauma and major life changes such as divorce and separation.

Alana has seven years of experience working with first responders, veterans and frontline professionals, and she brings professional and personal insight to those roles. She values the stories people bring and treats them as the starting point for change. Sessions aim to identify strengths, manage symptoms and build workable strategies for everyday life.

Her approach blends evidence-based techniques with a strengths focus. That means helping people notice what already works and using clear tools to reduce panic, ease low mood and manage intrusive memories. She also supports people through life transitions, workplace stress and the particular pressures of caring roles.

Alana holds AASW as a credential, which she uses to guide ethical practice and professional standards. Sessions are delivered in English and she works from Australia. She does not take international clients at this time.

To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions that fit their timetable. Alana uses a subscription model for sessions that can be cancelled at any time, and cost varies with location and therapist availability.

How evidence-based approaches shape online therapy

Alana uses trauma-informed care and cognitive behavioural therapy techniques in her work. Trauma-informed care means recognising how past events affect present reactions and pacing conversations so people feel understood. Cognitive behavioural therapy techniques focus on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical actions to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms.

These approaches are explained plainly and adapted to each person's situation. Finding the right fit is a collaborative process - the therapist and client decide together which methods suit the person’s goals, history and day-to-day needs. Goals are set in simple terms and reviewed as work progresses.

The biography does not specify which online session formats are offered, so please confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, for example by reducing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins during a lunch break or offering an option when attending in person is difficult. It can also let people continue care across life transitions while working on symptoms, coping skills and practical problem-solving with an appropriately qualified therapist.