Irene Hughes

Irene Hughes is an AASW clinician in Australia with 15 years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, and low self-esteem. Irene also focuses on issues such as attachment, body image, caregiver stress, commitment and communication problems, guilt and shame, and loneliness.

Irene combines Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with client-centred ways of working. She explains ideas plainly and helps people notice what matters to them. For some clients she integrates Christian faith, Scripture and prayer as part of therapy when that is wanted.

Sessions are conversational and practical. Irene aims to help people name what is getting in the way, try new responses, and make space for values-based choices. She uses ACT exercises to build psychological flexibility and client-centred listening to clarify priorities.

People who come for relationship issues may work on communication, boundaries and trust. Those dealing with parenting or caregiver strain tend to explore routines, role expectations and coping strategies. For trauma or abuse she takes a paced approach and focuses on stabilising symptoms first.

Irene frames work around each person’s spiritual and personal values when that is requested. She treats faith as one resource among others for making meaning and choosing next steps. If someone prefers non-religious therapy, she will keep the work secular and focused on psychological approaches.

To begin, she asks people to identify the immediate problem and the changes they hope to make. From there she outlines practical steps and a way of working together that fits the person’s life and beliefs.

How Irene integrates ACT and client-centred work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on noticing unhelpful thoughts and committing to actions that match your values. It uses simple exercises to build flexibility and reduce the hold of anxious or avoidant patterns. Client-centred therapy emphasises listening, reflection and practical problem-solving to help people clarify what matters to them and make changes step by step.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Irene will discuss ACT, client-centred methods and, if you want, faith-based options. Together you decide which mix of methods fits your goals, needs and preferences rather than following a set recipe.

The practical benefits of remote sessions depend on the formats currently offered, so please confirm session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit short check-ins into a busy day, remove travel time, and let people join from a quieter place without needing to travel. Some tasks, such as ACT exercises and values work, translate well to remote sessions and can be done between meetings to support steady progress.