Lisa Mackinnon

Lisa Mackinnon is an Accredited Social Worker (AASW) who works with people struggling with anger, stress, anxiety, grief and depression. She speaks plainly and listens without judgement, helping clients make sense of what they are feeling and find practical ways forward.

Her approach starts with what matters to the person in front of her. Sessions focus on identifying strengths, clarifying choices and trying small steps that reduce distress. Lisa uses techniques that address both thoughts and the body, so people can feel steadier day to day.

She has around 17 years' experience as a counsellor in Australia and has supported many people through trauma and its effects. That experience underpins a careful, paced way of working with strong emotions so people feel safer exploring difficult memories or reactions.

Lisa blends client-centred listening with solution-focused tools and somatic practices. This means conversations that validate experience alongside skills to manage panic, reduce reactivity and build new routines. She also draws on trauma-focused approaches when past harm is shaping current responses.

Practical tools such as grounding, breathing and simple body-based exercises may be offered alongside problem-solving and planning. Lisa aims to help people move out of stuck patterns and feel more connected to themselves and what they want in life.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on listening and building a trusting conversation. The therapist follows your lead, reflects what matters to you and helps you set goals that feel realistic. Solution-Focused Therapy looks for small, practical steps that make a difference. Sessions may centre on identifying what is already working and repeating those patterns to reduce stress or reactivity. Somatic Therapy attends to sensations in the body and simple body-based techniques. This can help when panic, anger or trauma responses are showing up in physical ways and people want tools that calm the nervous system.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with you about your needs, goals and preferences and help decide which mix of listening, solution-focused planning and body-based techniques fits best. That choice is reviewed and adjusted as you go, so the process stays collaborative.

The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. In general, online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling into a busy life, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also let people continue therapy from a different location if circumstances change. Appropriately qualified therapists can adapt client-centred, solution-focused and somatic tools to work well across distance, supporting progress without promising a particular format.