Ruth Sanders

Ruth Sanders is an AASW counsellor with eight years of experience in the mental health field. She helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, grief and loss, and major life changes. Ruth aims to make the first step easier by offering calm, practical support and clear next steps.

Ruth creates an open space where thoughts and feelings can be shared without fear of judgement. Her style is client-centred and strengths-based, so sessions focus on what is already working for each person. She listens for personal values and priorities, then helps shape goals around them.

Ruth draws on a mix of approaches depending on the situation. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to clarify values and increase psychological flexibility, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for problem solving and skill building, and Motivational Interviewing when people are weighing change. She also integrates elements of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and narrative work when these fit the client’s needs.

Practical help often includes learning coping strategies, planning small changes, and working through grief or relationship shifts. Ruth supports people who are facing divorce and separation and the stress that comes with major transitions. Her aim is to leave people with clear tools they can use between sessions.

To start, she asks a few questions to understand current struggles and what matters most. Then she and the person set realistic steps and revisit progress regularly. Ruth describes her role as supportive and collaborative during that process.

How her approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions that match those values. It is useful for stress, grief and life changes by making goals feel more meaningful. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on practical skills and changing unhelpful thinking patterns; it is often used for anxiety and mood difficulties. Motivational Interviewing is a conversational approach that supports people who feel stuck or unsure about change by strengthening their own reasons for taking steps forward.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Ruth will talk with the person about goals, preferences and what has helped them before. Together they decide which methods to try and review what is working as therapy progresses. This keeps the process flexible and tailored to the individual.

The profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments around work, study and caregiving. They can also reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Appropriately qualified therapists can adapt ACT, CBT and Motivational Interviewing to an online setting so people can practise new skills between sessions and track progress over time.