Paula Saby

Paula Saby is an AHPRA-credentialed counsellor in Australia with 20 years of professional experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, LGBT concerns, parenting strains, low self-esteem and motivation. Paula helps people who are unsure what comes next after big changes or who feel stuck in work or life. Paula uses clear, practical conversation to sort out what feels overwhelming. She listens for values and goals, then looks at small, manageable steps people can try between sessions. Her approach draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Solution-Focused Therapy to keep talks action-oriented and grounded. People meet to talk honestly about what matters and what gets in the way. Paula asks concrete questions about daily routines, relationships and stressful situations. She encourages experiments that test new ways of acting, rather than only talking about feelings. Over two decades Paula has helped people with relationship communication, parenting pressures, and the loneliness that can follow big life shifts. She also addresses attachment concerns, caregiver stress, codependency, and issues around guilt and forgiveness. Life purpose and midlife re-evaluation are part of her regular work. Sessions tend to focus on practical strategies for coping and on building momentum. If someone wants help with commitment worries, control issues, or recovering from separation, Paula uses goal-focused tools. People who feel isolated or who struggle with self-worth can work on small behaviour changes and clearer priorities.

How Paula’s approaches translate to online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, stress and for people unsure what matters next. Motivational Interviewing focuses on increasing motivation for change by exploring ambivalence. It suits clients who feel stuck or resistant to taking the next step. Solution-Focused Therapy looks for concrete solutions and small changes that quickly alter daily routines and feelings. Finding the right approach is part of the work. Paula will discuss these methods with each person and decide together which fits goals and preferences. That collaborative decision shapes session tasks and short-term plans. Confirm the therapist's current session delivery options before booking because the biography does not list specific formats. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow brief check-ins between other commitments. They also let people try exercises at home that can then be reviewed in the next meeting. The practical aim is to fit therapeutic work around everyday life while trying out approaches that may help with motivation, coping and clarifying life purpose.