Susan Mahachi

Practical support for relationships and anxiety

ACA Australia

Experience: 16 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Parenting
Approaches: Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages: English, Shona

About Susan

Susan Mahachi is an ACA counsellor who works with adults to address relationship strain, anxiety, stress and parenting concerns. She offers a calm, practical style and helps people take small steps toward clearer thinking and steadier emotions.

Background and approach

Susan has sixteen years of experience in Australia. She has supported people with depression, low self-esteem and body image worries.

She has also helped clients facing communication problems, blended family adjustments, divorce and separation, and caregiver stress. Her approach is flexible.

She draws on Gottman Method ideas for relationship conversation, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to clarify values and take action, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to change unhelpful thinking patterns. Sessions focus on everyday problems and practical tools rather than jargon.

Susan aims to create a non-judgemental space where people can speak honestly about what matters to them. She encourages parents and individuals to try small behaviour changes and communication practices between sessions.

Progress is checked in simple, measurable ways. She speaks English and Shona.

Sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat or text-based messaging. The subscription model used for sessions can be cancelled at any time, and costs vary with location and therapist availability.

Therapeutic approaches applied to online care

Gottman Method ideas focus on improving everyday conversations and conflict habits. In online sessions these ideas are used to teach simple communication exercises and problem-solving steps that partners or individuals can try between sessions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people get clear on what matters and take small, values-based actions. Online ACT work often uses brief exercises, mindfulness practice and goal-setting that suit phone or messaging check-ins. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early connection patterns shape current relationships and emotional responses, and it supports changes in how people ask for support and set boundaries.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to select methods that match their goals, comfort and day-to-day life. That might mean combining short CBT-style exercises with ACT commitments or practising Gottman conversation techniques across several sessions.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and observing non-verbal cues. Phone sessions can fit a break at work or when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging suit quick check-ins, homework review and more frequent support between longer sessions. These options aim to make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into busy lives.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns could I bring to therapy?

Susan helps people with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, parenting worries, low self-esteem and depression. She also works with issues such as attachment difficulties, body image and family-of-origin problems.

What style of therapy does she use?

Her work blends approaches like Gottman Method ideas for conversations, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to clarify values, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to address thinking patterns. Sessions are practical and action-focused.

How long has she practised?

She has sixteen years of experience working in Australia across a variety of personal and relationship concerns.

What credentials and location are listed?

The profile lists ACA as her credential and shows she practises in Australia.

Which languages are available for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English and Shona.

Can I do sessions online from another country?

International clients are not currently accepted; sessions are provided to people located in Australia.

What formats do sessions come in?

Therapy is available by video call, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different routines and needs.

How are costs and starting arranged?

Costs vary with location and therapist availability and use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesParenting issuesSelf esteem Depression

Additional focus areas

Abandonment Attachment issues Blended family issues Body image Caregiver issues and stress Communication problems Control issues Divorce and separation Domestic violenceEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issues Forgiveness Guilt and shameHIV / AIDSImmigration issues Impulsivity Infidelity Isolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purpose Midlife crisis Money and financial issues Mood disorders Multicultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depression Post-traumatic stress Pregnancy and childbirthSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-love Sexual assault and abuse Social anxiety and phobia Women's issues Workplace issues Young adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centred TherapyCognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy

Experience

16+ years

Registered with

ACA

Languages

English, Shona