Meet Anunda
What matters to me in our work
Clients have described me as someone who “genuinely cares”. I bring warmth, calm and an accepting presence to therapy. My priority is to create a space where you can be yourself and speak openly.
Therapy can involve difficult conversations and uncomfortable emotions. I aim to meet these with compassion and understanding, without judgement or adding to feelings of shame. I value your existing strengths and wisdom, even when these may be difficult for you to see.
Therapy doesn’t have to be serious all the time. There can also be space for humour and lightness in our sessions.
My role is not to tell you how to live your life, but to listen carefully and ask questions that can help you make sense of what’s happening.
You don’t need the right words or a clear explanation for why you’re seeking support. We can begin with whatever feels most present for you.
My professional background and training
I qualified as a Social Worker in 2002 and have more than 20 years’ experience in community and therapeutic work. My background includes counselling, family support and mental health work, supporting people affected by trauma, relationship difficulties, emotional distress and complex family circumstances. I’ve also provided couples counselling, facilitated art therapy workshops and offered reflective supervision to other professionals.
My IFS training began in 2022 and includes Stepping Stones and Stepping Deeper with IFSCA, followed by Level 1 and Level 2 training with the IFS Institute. I’ve also completed Intimacy From the Inside Out (IFIO) for couples counselling, along with other specialist IFS-informed training, and receive ongoing IFS supervision.
IFS has become an important part of my work because of its compassionate view of our inner world and its belief in our capacity to heal. I have also personally engaged in IFS therapy, which has deepened my appreciation of what it can be like to be on the client side of the therapeutic relationship.
I draw on other approaches, including EMDR, ACT, mindfulness and somatic awareness, when appropriate.
A little about me
I’ve always been interested in what shapes us as people, our experiences, relationships and the ways we learn to navigate life.
I’ve traveled widely and, during an important period in my own life, developed a regular meditation practice that included long-term silent residential retreats. These experiences helped me discover a greater sense of calm within myself and influenced my decision to become a social worker and therapist. They also broadened my outlook and deepened my respect for the many ways people experience and understand the world.
I also have a background as a visual artist and have created and facilitated art-therapeutic programs in Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Australia. My creative background has given me another way of appreciating how people express and make sense of their experiences.
If you’re in Fremantle, Perth, or anywhere in Australia seeking IFS therapy or trauma counselling, I’d be honoured to support your healing path.
