Sharon Strauss, PACFA
Practical somatic counselling for stress and relationships
About Sharon
Sharon Strauss is a PACFA counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties and trauma. She is direct and practical in sessions and aims to make therapy feel approachable. Sharon works online and in person on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and has nine years of experience in the field.
Sharon uses talking together plus body-aware approaches to help people notice how stress shows up in the body. She draws on somatic work alongside cognitive behavioural and acceptance-based ideas to help people manage emotions and build skills.
Background and approach
Sessions are shaped to each person and to what they want to change. Clients commonly come for help with low mood, addictive patterns, grief, intimacy concerns and self-esteem. Sharon also supports people dealing with anger, career stress, compassion fatigue, ADHD and complex relationship patterns related to attachment and abandonment.
She keeps language simple and focuses on steps people can try between sessions. Her style is warm and respectful, with an emphasis on safety and clear goals. Sharon listens first, then suggests practical techniques for breathing, noticing sensations, and testing new ways of relating.
She adapts her approach over time to fit progress and feedback. Practical information is discussed at first contact, such as session format and the subscription-based payment model. If someone is unsure where to start, Sharon guides them through a short matching questionnaire and scheduling so therapy can begin when they feel ready.
How therapeutic approaches work online
Sharon combines somatic awareness with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Attachment-Based ideas to help people online. Somatic work focuses on noticing body sensations and gentle movement to reduce tension and help people feel more grounded; it can help with anxiety, stress and trauma-related symptoms. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) teaches skills to notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck, and then choose values-based action to move forward. Attachment-Based approaches look at how patterns from past relationships shape current connections and help people try new ways of relating.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process. Sharon works collaboratively to test what helps most for each person, adjusting techniques and pacing to match goals and comfort. She aims to help people learn practical skills they can use between sessions as well as explore underlying patterns.
Online therapy offers flexibility in how sessions happen. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction, phone sessions suit those who prefer voice, and live chat or text-based messaging can fit into busy days or provide short check-ins. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care and apply new skills in daily life while working with an appropriately qualified counsellor.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Gottman Method
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Experience
- 9 years
- Licensed
- Languages
- English