- Attachment-informed
- Practical strategies
- Strengths focus
About Karinna
Karinna Johnstone is an AASW social worker with 18 years of experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, trauma and loss. She focuses on practical steps that help people feel steadier and more capable in everyday life.
She works in a down-to-earth, respectful way that treats each person as the expert in their own story. Sessions often focus on small, achievable changes - building confidence, managing difficult emotions and finding ways to cope after trauma or major life change. Karinna aims to help people notice strengths they may have overlooked.
Her background includes working with people experiencing mental health challenges, homelessness, addiction and disability. That experience informs how she responds to complex problems like co-morbidity, compassion fatigue and caregiving stress. She also supports people facing grief, bipolar mood challenges, parenting strain and relationship difficulties.
Karinna uses talking therapies that draw on attachment-based, client-centred and cognitive behavioural ideas, combined with mindfulness and narrative techniques when they suit a person's goals. She pays attention to how life history, relationships and daily habits affect wellbeing and coping.
Karinna works with people who want practical tools and steady support to manage symptoms, rebuild routines and make changes that fit their life. She invites people to be active partners in setting goals and choosing ways of working that feel right for them.
How therapy approaches translate online
Attachment-based work looks at how relationships shape feelings and behaviours and helps people notice patterns that affect current relationships. It can be useful for people with attachment issues, relationship worries and those recovering from trauma. Client-centred practice focuses on listening and helping people set their own goals; the therapist follows your lead and helps you build on your strengths. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings and actions and offers practical strategies to change unhelpful patterns, which can help with anxiety, low mood and sleep problems.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Karinna collaborates with each person to decide which combination of methods will best match their needs, goals and preferences. She will help review progress and adjust strategies as needed so the plan stays useful and realistic.
Please confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when life is hectic. It also allows work on skills like mindfulness exercises, CBT worksheets and talking through relationship patterns from wherever you are in Australia, while keeping the focus on practical tools that apply to daily life.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
18+ years
Credentials
Australia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Karinna help with?
She supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression and self-esteem problems. Other focuses include parenting strain, sleeping issues, compassion fatigue, ADHD and coping with life changes.
What style of therapy does she use?
The approach is collaborative and practical, using attachment-based, client-centred and cognitive behavioural methods alongside mindfulness and narrative therapy where helpful. Sessions aim to combine understanding with concrete coping strategies.
How much experience does she have?
Karinna has 18 years of experience working in social work roles across a range of settings and client needs. That time includes work with people facing trauma, homelessness, addiction and complex mental health issues.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
Karinna is an AASW social worker and practises in Australia. The credential is noted as AASW.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside Australia work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted; sessions are offered to people in Australia.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time. Specific fees depend on the subscription plan chosen.
How do I begin working with Karinna?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire and then schedule a time according to the therapist's availability.