Counsellor profile
Kathryn Vella, AASW
AASW social worker - Family and relationship concerns
Continue with KathrynAbout
- Coercive control focus
- Trauma and attachment
- ADHD and neurodiversity
About Kathryn
Kathryn Vella is an AASW social worker with six years of clinical experience. She lives in Germany and practices with an Australia-based perspective. Kathryn focuses on stress, anxiety, relationship and family issues, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, addictions and ADHD among other concerns.
She works with people affected by coercive control and complex emotional abuse. Kathryn combines psychosocial and sociolegal perspectives so therapy considers the wider context around a person’s difficulties. She uses psychoeducation to help people understand coercive control and how it affects thinking and coping.
Her approach uses acceptance and commitment ideas alongside attachment-based and client-centred methods. Cognitive behavioural techniques and elements of dialectical behaviour therapy are used when they suit a person’s goals. Kathryn aims to help people rebuild identity, strengthen self-worth and manage emotional regulation in everyday life.
Kathryn also supports people dealing with neurodevelopmental differences such as ADHD and autism, and with conditions like OCD. She pays attention to how those issues interact with trauma and relationship patterns, and she works on practical skills for emotion regulation and daily functioning.
Academically she is finalising a Master of Clinical Psychology and will begin a PhD in Clinical Psychology and Psychopharmacology in 2026. Her research focuses on coercive control and the neurobiological and clinical mechanisms that maintain it. Kathryn blends clinical practice with ongoing research to keep therapy informed by current evidence.
How sessions work
Therapeutic approaches used in online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people clarify their values and take small steps in line with those values while learning to live with difficult thoughts and feelings. It can help with anxiety, stress and major life changes.Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and how early attachments shape current responses. This approach is useful for people rebuilding trust, identity and self-worth after relational harm or ongoing controlling behaviours.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the client about goals and preferences and decide collaboratively which methods to try first. Sessions can include skills practice, psychoeducation and reflection so approaches can be adjusted as progress is made.
The biography does not specify which online session formats are offered, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around parenting, work and other commitments, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Therapists who use these approaches often combine practical skill-building with discussion to help people manage day-to-day challenges.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
6+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, addictions, ADHD and related issues.
What style of therapy does she use?
Therapy blends acceptance and commitment ideas, attachment-based work and client-centred approaches, with CBT and DBT skills used as needed.
How much experience does she have?
She has six years of clinical and professional experience in mental health, forensic mental health, psychology and life coaching.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an AASW social worker and is based in Germany while holding Australian professional affiliation.
Can I work with her if English is not my first language?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm the current session options before booking.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a 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.