Joanne Alexander , AASW

Joanne Alexander is a warm and compassionate therapist with 14 years of experience helping children, young people, and families navigate challenging and often complex situations. Her practice includes family therapy, mental health support for children and young people, and development of practical parenting skills, approached with sensitivity and a focus on each family member's needs.

She adopts a nurturing, trauma-informed style that keeps the child’s voice, safety, and wellbeing at the centre of the work. Building genuine, trusting relationships is central to her practice, and she engages openly and collaboratively with families to recognise strengths and support growth in confidence, stability, and connection.

Joanne holds the AASW credential, the professional recognition from the Australian Association of Social Workers. Her clinical interests include stress, anxiety, family and parenting issues, anger, and depression, as well as attachment concerns, blended family dynamics, caregiver stress, communication difficulties, eating and food-related issues, mood disorders, panic, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress, seasonal mood changes, self-harm, social anxiety, women's issues, and challenges faced by young adults.

Outside of work she is a mother to an 11-year-old neuro sparkle child and shares a busy household with labradoodle Finn and a ginger cat named Obe-wan. She enjoys reading, spending time in nature, and is preparing to try cake decorating.

Therapeutic approaches and online care for families and young people

Joanne uses a mix of practical, evidence-informed approaches tailored to the needs of children, young people, and families. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on building a supportive, non-judgmental relationship that helps individuals feel heard and understood - it is useful when people need a safe space to explore feelings and build self-awareness. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns, making it a strong option for anxiety, depression, panic, and mood difficulties. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches skills for managing intense emotions, improving distress tolerance, and strengthening interpersonal effectiveness, which can be helpful for mood instability, self-harm, and relationship challenges.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Joanne works collaboratively with each person and family to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call, over the phone, via live chat, or through text-based messaging - making it easier to fit therapy into busy family schedules and to access support from different locations. Licensed professionals can provide meaningful therapeutic work through these modalities, helping clients move toward greater stability and connection while accommodating individual circumstances.