- Stress and anxiety
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Faith integrated support
About Irene
Irene Hughes is an AASW counsellor in Australia with 15 years of professional experience. She focuses on common pressures young adults face, including stress, anxiety, relationships, parenting concerns and self-esteem. Irene also works with people affected by trauma and abuse and supports those navigating attachment and body-image concerns.
She blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with client-centred therapy in sessions. That means she uses values-based work alongside conversations that centre the person's own perspective. For clients who wish, her practice includes faith-based elements such as Scripture and prayer integrated into psychological work.
Sessions are conversational and practical. Irene helps people notice what matters to them, clarify personal values, and take small steps consistent with those values. She also spends time listening to how life and faith interact, and how that shapes everyday choices and relationships.
People come to her with relationship issues like communication problems, commitment questions or infidelity. She supports those dealing with caregiver stress, fatherhood issues, fertility and grief around family problems. She also addresses feelings of emptiness, guilt, shame and isolation.
Her approach emphasises everyday skills as well as reflective discussion. Irene aims to help people build steadier habits of living and relating, while respecting their faith and personal beliefs. To start, she asks about current challenges, values and what a meaningful next step would look like.
How ACT and client-centred work online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what they value and practise small actions that reflect those values. It is often used for anxiety, stress, low mood and problems with motivation or avoidance.Client-centred therapy focuses on listening, understanding and following the client’s pace. It supports self-reflection, clearer communication and rebuilding self-worth through respectful dialogue.
Choosing the right approach is part of therapy. Irene will work with each person to decide whether ACT techniques, client-centred conversations, or a mix of both fit best. That decision is based on the person's goals, daily life and preferences, and is reviewed as work progresses.
If you want online sessions, confirm the current session options before booking since formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into study, work and family life. It can allow shorter check-ins between commitments, let someone avoid travel, or remove the need to be on camera for an entire session. Therapists and appropriately qualified professionals commonly use these practical options to match sessions to each person's routines and needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, parenting concerns, self-esteem issues and trauma and abuse, plus related areas such as attachment, body image and isolation.
How would therapy feel day to day?
Sessions are conversational and practical, combining client-centred listening with ACT techniques that focus on values and small behavioural steps.
How much experience does she have?
Irene has 15 years of professional experience working with adults on the concerns listed above.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She lists AASW as her credential and practises in Australia.
Can I work with her in a language other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she accept international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions charged?
Cost varies with location and therapy uses a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.