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Lisa Papas

Lisa Papas

ACA · Australia

Compassionate counselling for life–s hard moments

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  • 30 years experience
  • Person-centred care
  • Adoption and foster care

About Lisa

Lisa Papas is an ACA counsellor with 30 years of experience who focuses on helping people through stressful and painful life moments. She makes space for people to tell their story and listens without judgement. Many come to her worried about anxiety, grief, substance use, or changing life roles.

Her approach is practical and person-centred. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help people notice difficult thoughts and take valued actions. Attachment-based ideas are used to understand relationship patterns and how early experiences shape current reactions.

Sessions are grounded in everyday language. She offers straightforward tools for sleeping problems, managing anger, reducing anxiety, and coping with chronic health concerns. Motivational interviewing techniques help when people are working through addiction or change.

Lisa also supports people dealing with adoption and foster care matters, abandonment and blended-family strains, as well as career and self-esteem concerns. She listens for the practical next steps a person can take and helps break larger problems into manageable tasks.

Respect and compassion are central to her work. She aims to create a calm space where people can explore loss, trauma, or caregiver stress and find ways to move forward. Taking the first step can feel hard, and she focuses on clear, steady support while people decide what they want to change.

How these approaches translate to online counselling

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts and choose actions that match their values rather than getting stuck. It is often used for anxiety, depression and life transitions by teaching practical mindfulness and commitment strategies.

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at relationship patterns and how early connections shape current reactions. It can help people understand why they respond in certain ways in relationships and work on creating more satisfying connections.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, preferences and practical needs, then suggest ways of using ACT, attachment ideas or client-centred techniques to suit them. This is a collaborative process and adjustments are made over time as needs change.

The biography does not list specific online formats, so confirm the available session types before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, cut travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They also allow sessions to continue when someone is travelling or has limited time between commitments. Appropriately qualified therapists can adapt ACT and attachment-based methods to work well in remote sessions, focusing on practical exercises, values-based planning and discussion of relationship patterns.

Areas of expertise

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesDepression

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

30+ years

Credentials

Australia

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Lisa commonly help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, addictions and relationship or intimacy-related issues among others.

What kind of therapy style can I expect?

Sessions are practical and person-centred, combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and attachment-based ideas to address thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

How long has she practised?

Lisa has 30 years of professional experience working with people through loss, chronic health issues, substance use and life transitions.

Where is she based and what are her credentials?

She practises in Australia and is an ACA counsellor as listed in her profile.

Can I have sessions in another language or from overseas?

Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.

What session formats are available?

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

How much do sessions cost and how are they billed?

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

How do I begin if I want to work with her?

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

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