Larissa Lau, AASW

Larissa Lau is an AASW-accredited social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and low self-esteem. She often supports those facing life transitions, relationship strain, grief and feelings of emptiness. People come to her when they are worried about panic, obsessive worries, jealousy or struggles with purpose.

Lara works in a straightforward, collaborative way. She spends time listening and then helps people set small, practical goals. Sessions focus on what is happening now and on skills that can be used between meetings. Her approach aims to make day-to-day life feel more manageable.

Her practice draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques. Lara uses counselling, cognitive behaviour therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy alongside body-focused work such as somatic experiencing. She also offers ego state (parts) therapy and clinical hypnotherapy as options to explore how different parts of someone act and feel.

She explains options clearly and helps each person choose the methods that suit them. The work is paced to the individual and shaped around real-life routines and responsibilities. Lara values practical steps and steady progress.

With ten years' experience, she combines clinical knowledge with a down-to-earth style. Sessions are conducted from Australia and are delivered in English. Prospective clients are encouraged to use the continue button on this profile to begin the intake process and schedule a first appointment.

How evidence-based techniques translate to online work

Larissa combines a few evidence-based approaches to help people manage symptoms and build coping skills. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments, which can reduce anxiety and depressive patterns. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) teaches values-based action and acceptance strategies, helping people stay engaged with life even when painful thoughts or feelings remain.

She also uses somatic experiencing to attend to physical sensations linked to stress and trauma. This approach helps people notice bodily signals and learn simple ways to reduce tension and overwhelm. These methods are offered as part of a collaborative process where the therapist and client decide together which approaches to try based on needs and preferences.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals and trial techniques to see what fits best. That means choices can change as progress is made and practical life demands shift.

The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm the available options before booking. Online work can make sessions easier to fit into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also makes it simple to continue therapy during life changes, while the therapist and client focus on usable strategies and steady progress together.