Alana Russell, AASW

Alana Russell is an AASW counsellor with seven years of experience working with people affected by trauma, stress and work-related strain. She focuses on practical, evidence-informed approaches and treats each person as the expert in their own life. Alana aims to create space for honest conversation and steady progress.

Her work often centres on trauma-informed care and cognitive behavioural therapy techniques. She combines attention to strengths with problem-solving steps that people can use between sessions. This practical focus is designed to reduce symptoms of anxiety, panic and depression while helping clients regain day-to-day functioning.

Alana has professional and personal experience with first responder and veteran contexts, and she understands the kinds of pressures those roles can bring. She also works with concerns that commonly follow childbirth and parenting, such as postpartum depression and the stress of balancing care responsibilities and work.

Other areas she helps with include workplace strain, compassion fatigue, guilt and shame, attachment and control issues, and life-purpose questions. She supports people navigating separation and the emotional aftermath of divorce as well as those processing grief or trauma from abuse.

Her sessions aim to be collaborative and goal-focused. Alana uses tools people can apply between meetings, and she checks in on progress so plans can be adjusted. To start, she encourages an honest conversation about priorities and what would feel most useful right now.

How evidence-based approaches translate to online therapy

Alana uses trauma-informed care and cognitive behavioural therapy techniques in her work. Trauma-informed care means recognising how past harm can affect current thinking and behaviour, and placing safety and respect at the centre of sessions. Cognitive behavioural techniques focus on spotting patterns of thought and behaviour that keep problems going, then building practical steps to change them.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk through what matters most, try strategies, and adapt the plan if something is not helping. Clients set goals and the therapist checks progress so the approach matches their needs and preferences.

The original biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm available options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into busy routines, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It can also let people join from quieter surroundings or when work demands make in-person visits difficult. Discuss format preferences during the matching process so sessions suit everyday life and therapeutic goals.