Camila De Oliveira Mendes Leal, ACA

Camila De Oliveira Mendes Leal is an ACA counsellor who helps people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and parenting challenges. She greets clients with a calm, down-to-earth approach and aims to make difficult topics easier to talk about.

Camila trained as a psychologist in Brazil and now works in Australia as a Level 4 counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). She sees adolescents and adults and uses a mix of approaches to match each person’s needs. Sessions focus on what is happening now and on understanding deeper patterns that keep problems repeating.

Her work draws on psychoanalytic ideas to look at underlying conflicts. She also uses mind-body tools such as breathwork from HeartMath to reduce anxiety and regulate the nervous system. Additional techniques such as neuro-linguistic programming and hypnotherapy are used to reframe unhelpful patterns when appropriate.

Camila has particular experience supporting people who have experienced trauma and those facing the stresses of parenting and perinatal mental health. She also helps with self-esteem, coping with life changes and chronic stress. Her style is practical and relational - she listens closely and offers clear strategies as well as deeper reflective work.

Sessions are offered in English and Portuguese. People interested in starting can use the site button to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session according to the therapist’s availability.

How therapeutic approaches adapt to online work

Camila incorporates psychoanalytic listening and mind-body techniques in her practice. Psychoanalytic-informed work focuses on understanding repeating patterns and emotional roots, helping people see why they react in certain ways. HeartMath breathwork offers practical breathing and regulation exercises that reduce anxiety and improve calm in daily life.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Camila discusses goals, preferences and what feels most useful, then adjusts techniques so they match the person's needs. This is a collaborative process where the chosen methods are reviewed and changed as progress is made.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the exact session options before booking because the biography does not list formats. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy schedule, reduce travel time and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. They also let people use breathwork and regulation exercises in the moment, supported by the therapist. Appropriately qualified therapists can adapt both reflective and practical techniques to work effectively across different session arrangements.