Joanna Ridgeway

Practical, compassionate support for stress and relationships

ACA Australia

Experience: 14 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse
Approaches: Gottman Method, Attachment-Based Therapy
Languages: English

About Joanna

Joanna Ridgeway is an ACA counsellor who helps people dealing with stress, anxiety, low mood and relationship concerns. She writes plainly and listens closely so clients feel heard.

Background and approach

Joanna offers a calm space for someone who is nervous about taking the first step. Joanna draws on 14 years of experience in clinical work across a range of issues.

She supports people navigating trauma and abuse, self‑esteem difficulties and motivation problems. She also works with people facing chronic illness, caregiving strain, divorce and grief from separation.

Her approach is collaborative and down to earth. Joanna uses practical tools from cognitive behavioural therapy to break unhelpful thinking patterns.

She also uses attachment‑based ideas to look at how early relationships shape current reactions. Emotionally focused work is offered when people want to understand and change how they relate to others.

The Gottman Method is part of her repertoire for addressing communication and interaction patterns in relationships. Sessions are guided by what each person brings and the goals they want to reach.

Joanna aims for clear, manageable steps between sessions. She helps clients try new ways of coping and notice small changes that matter.

If someone prefers working by video, phone or text, Joanna adapts her style to fit that format.

How Joanna applies therapeutic approaches online

Joanna commonly uses cognitive behavioural therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. CBT focuses on practical skills such as thought records and behavioural experiments that suit remote work. She also draws on attachment‑based therapy to explore how early relationship patterns affect current responses, which can be discussed in sessions and reflected on through exercises between meetings. The Gottman Method informs her work on communication and interaction patterns for people who want clearer, more effective conversations with important others.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Joanna discusses options with each person and chooses methods together based on their goals, needs and preferences. This collaborative conversation helps decide whether to emphasise CBT skills, attachment work or communication exercises in future sessions.

Online therapy with Joanna uses video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text‑based messaging. Video works well for face‑to‑face conversations and guided exercises, while phone sessions suit people with limited bandwidth. Live chat and text can be useful for brief check‑ins, journalling prompts and ongoing reflections between meetings. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to continue progress when travel is difficult.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Joanna commonly help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, depression, self esteem and relationship difficulties, plus trauma and abuse. Joanna also supports people with issues such as chronic illness, caregiver stress, divorce and communication problems.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Joanna keeps sessions straightforward and practical. She combines listening with actionable strategies so people can try things between sessions.

How much experience does she have?

Joanna has 14 years of professional experience working in clinical settings. That experience covers a broad range of emotional and life stressors.

What credentials and location apply to Joanna?

She is an ACA counsellor based in Australia.

In which languages can sessions be held?

Sessions are offered in English.

Which session formats are available?

Joanna offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text‑based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.

How are sessions paid for and what do they cost?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.

How do I begin working with Joanna?

Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuse Self esteem Depression

Additional focus areas

Abandonment Aging and geriatric issues Attachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBlended family issues Body imageCancerCaregiver issues and stress Chronic pain, illness, and disability Codependency Commitment issues Communication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separation Domestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgiveness Guilt and shame Impulsivity Infidelity Isolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purpose Midlife crisis Money and financial issuesNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacks Post-traumatic stress Pregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationWomen's issues Workplace issues Young adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centred TherapyCognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy

Experience

14+ years

Registered with

ACA

Languages

English