Mercedes Alia, AASW

Mercedes Alia is an AASW social worker with six years of experience helping people through difficult times. She supports those dealing with addictions, relationship strain, family tensions, parenting stress and low self-esteem. Her approach is warm and straightforward, aimed at making change feel possible even when problems seem overwhelming.

Mercedes listens first and works at the client’s pace. She uses clear, practical techniques drawn from attachment-based therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, along with client-centred conversations to uncover what matters most to each person. Sessions focus on small, manageable steps that build confidence and improve day-to-day coping.

She often helps people untangle patterns linked to abandonment, attachment issues, codependency and commitment worries. Mercedes also addresses concerns like body image, dissociation, control issues and the fallout from separation or domestic violence in ways that aim to restore agency and safety.

Conversations may include motivational interviewing to strengthen resolve and narrative techniques to reframe difficult personal stories. The work combines problem-solving with space to process feelings, so clients can try new behaviours and notice what changes.

Mercedes works in Australia and speaks English, Albanian and Italian. If you feel stuck or overwhelmed by a relationship or parenting challenge, she offers calm, practical support to help you move forward.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Attachment-based work focuses on patterns in close relationships and how early bonds influence current trust and closeness. In online sessions this can help people notice repeating patterns and try different ways of relating. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings and actions and tests small changes to behaviour. Online CBT sessions often use practical exercises and homework to build new skills between meetings. Motivational interviewing helps people find their own reasons to change by exploring values and ambivalence in a non-judgemental way.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most helpful, and then try approaches that fit the person’s situation. This is a collaborative decision that can change as progress is made.

Confirm current session options before booking to see what formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people use tools such as worksheets, thought records and narrated exercises between sessions to reinforce learning and track change.