Shannan Marano

Shannan Marano is a Master-level counsellor registered with the Australian Counsellors Association (ACA) at Level 3. She has three years of experience working in community settings across Australia. Her everyday focus is helping people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, and coping with life changes including questions about life purpose.

Shannan has worked in Aboriginal Medical Services, women’s refuge centres and employment services. These roles shaped how she listens and responds to practical problems. She uses clear, down-to-earth language and aims to make sessions feel direct and useful.

Her approach draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and take small, values-driven actions. Attachment-Based and client-centred ideas guide how she explores relationship patterns and emotional safety. She also uses elements of the Gottman Method when relationship communication is the focus.

Sessions typically involve talking through what matters now, identifying manageable steps, and practising skills between meetings. Shannan pays attention to issues such as abandonment, attachment wounds, body image, caregiver stress, dissociation and substance use as part of this work.

She also supports people facing family of origin pain, grief and hospice or end-of-life concerns, as well as loneliness, guilt and shame. People considering a shift in career or life direction can discuss questions about life purpose as part of the counselling process.

How her approaches translate to online counselling

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small, value-led actions despite difficult thoughts or feelings. It is useful for anxiety, stress and life-change decisions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing patterns of thinking and behaviour that keep problems going. It is practical for anxiety, addiction-related habits and everyday coping skills. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns affect current connections and emotional responses and is often helpful when relationship trust or abandonment issues are present.

Choosing which approach to use is part of the work. The therapist will discuss options in early sessions and together they will select what fits the client’s goals and preferences. That collaborative process helps shape short-term steps and longer-term focus.

The practical benefits of online sessions include easier fitting of appointments into busy schedules and reducing travel time. Online work can also make brief check-ins and regular skill practice simpler to maintain. Session formats are not listed here; confirm the exact session options when booking to match timing and technical needs.