Doreen Patenall

PACFA

Australia

Experienced PACFA counsellor focused on practical change

Continue with Doreen

At a glance

Credentials

PACFA

Registration

PACFA, Australia / 20854

Experience

25 years

Languages

English

Location

Australia

Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp.

1. • 25 years experience
   • Values-based approach
   • Practical strategies

   About Doreen

   Doreen Patenall is a PACFA-credentialled counsellor with 25 years of professional experience. She has spent her career helping people manage stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, and grief. Doreen aims to create a calm space where thoughts and feelings can be shared without judgment. She encourages small steps that feel manageable when change feels hard.

   Her approach is practical and person-focused. Sessions draw on methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to help people notice patterns and try different ways of responding. Attachment-based ideas are used to look at how early relationships shape current reactions and connections.

   Doreen also uses Motivational Interviewing to support people who want to make changes but feel stuck. That work tends to focus on clarifying values and building motivation in bite-sized ways. The therapist blends these approaches to match what each person needs rather than following one fixed plan.

   People often come with worries about body image, communication problems, control issues, divorce and separation, guilt or shame, loneliness, or questions about life purpose. Doreen offers straightforward conversations and practical tools to help with panic, post-traumatic stress, social anxiety, and end-of-life concerns too.

   Taking the first step can feel daunting. The process begins with a short questionnaire and scheduling, then Doreen and the client work together to set clear, achievable goals.

2. Using evidence-based approaches online

   Doreen commonly works with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and she also draws on Motivational Interviewing. ACT helps people clarify what matters to them and take small steps that align with those values, which can ease stuckness and increase meaningful action. CBT looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours interact and offers clear exercises to change unhelpful patterns. Motivational Interviewing focuses on strengthening a person’s own motivation for change by exploring ambivalence in a respectful way.
   
   Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they shape a plan that feels doable and that can change as progress is made.
   
   The biography does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy around work, caregiving or travel and can reduce time spent commuting. They also allow for shorter check-ins when needed and for using phone rather than video if that suits the person better. Appropriately qualified counsellors can adapt practical exercises and homework tasks to work well in remote sessions.

4. Areas of expertise

   Primary focus

   Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseGriefCoaching

   Additional focus areas

   Body imageCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingIsolation / lonelinessLife purposePanic disorder and panic attacksPost-traumatic stressSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobia

   Therapeutic approaches

   Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapySystemic Therapy

   Experience

   25+ years

   Listed in

   Australia

   Languages

   English

5. Frequently asked questions

   What kinds of problems does this counsellor help with?

   Doreen supports people with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and coaching for life changes. She also works on issues like body image, control problems, panic, and social anxiety.

   How would you describe the therapeutic style?

   The style is warm and practical, focusing on listening and collaborating. Sessions use clear tools from evidence-informed approaches to help people try new ways of coping.

   How much experience does the counsellor have?

   Doreen has 25 years of professional experience working with a wide range of emotional and relational concerns.

   What credentials and location are listed?

   She is PACFA credentialled and is based in Australia.

   Are sessions available in other languages or internationally?

   Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.

   What session formats are offered?

   The original biography does not specify session formats, so please confirm current session options before booking.

   How does pricing work?

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

   What is the first step to begin therapy?

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

6. Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers

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