Counsellor profile
Karinna Johnstone, AASW
AASW social worker - family and parenting focus
Continue with KarinnaAbout
- Attachment-based work
- Cognitive behaviour tools
- Mindfulness practices
About Karinna
Karinna Johnstone is an AASW social worker with 18 years of experience in Australia. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, low self-esteem, depression, relationship and family concerns, parenting strain, sleep problems, anger and life transitions.
She draws on practical, person-centred methods. Sessions focus on clear goals, everyday coping skills and strengthening what already works in a person’s life. Karinna uses talking, reflection and simple exercises to build motivation and confidence.
Her background includes supporting people with complex needs such as disability, addiction, homelessness and co-occurring mental health issues. She has particular experience with trauma, grief, and helping people manage ongoing stress and compassion fatigue. She also supports people navigating ADHD, bipolar mood challenges and caregiver stress.
Karinna combines attachment-informed ideas with cognitive tools and narrative techniques. That means she pays attention to how relationships affect feelings and behaviour while also working on practical thought and behaviour changes. Mindfulness practices are used when they help reduce anxiety and improve focus.
In sessions she treats the person as the expert on their own life and works collaboratively to set small, achievable steps. The focus is on learning skills that fit into daily routines so people can notice real, gradual change. She asks for courage at first and then helps people practise new ways of coping.
People considering counselling are encouraged to think about what matters most to them and to bring specific examples of home or parenting struggles to early sessions. Karinna supports adults wanting clearer boundaries, better sleep, calmer parenting, or improved self-esteem.
How sessions work
How her attachment, CBT and client-centred approaches work online
Karinna often uses attachment-informed ideas to look at how past and current relationships shape reactions and trust. This helps when relationship patterns or attachment issues contribute to stress, parenting struggles or low self-esteem.She also uses Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which focuses on noticing unhelpful thoughts and testing practical changes in behaviour. CBT is useful for anxiety, sleep difficulties, low mood and managing anger through clear strategies.
Client-centred work means the therapist follows the person’s lead, listens closely and helps set goals that matter to the client. Narrative techniques are brought in to reframe personal stories when that helps people make sense of change.
Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the work. Karinna will discuss options with each person and together they pick methods that fit the client’s goals, preferences and daily life. The process is collaborative and reviewed as progress is made.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy routine, reduce travel time and allow shorter or more flexible check-ins when needed. They can also suit people who prefer not to use video for some sessions, depending on available formats.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
18+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with related to family life?
She helps adults work through parenting strain, blended family issues, communication problems and family conflict from an individual perspective.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is collaborative and practical, using client-centred discussion alongside attachment ideas, CBT and narrative work to set small achievable goals.
How much experience does she bring?
She has 18 years working as a social worker with people facing trauma, addiction, homelessness and complex mental health needs.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is listed as an AASW social worker based in Australia.
Can I work with her in a language other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she see international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are fees handled?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
What is the first step to begin?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule your first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A registration can be checked with the body that issued it.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.