- Stress and anxiety
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Christian-integrated care
About Irene
Irene Hughes is an AASW social worker with over 15 years of clinical experience in Australia. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, parenting challenges and low self-esteem. Irene also supports people dealing with attachment issues, body image, caregiver stress, fertility and fatherhood concerns, and feelings of emptiness or isolation.
Irene integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and client-centred therapy into sessions. For clients who choose it, she brings Christian spiritual perspectives into the conversation, including Scripture and prayer alongside psychological approaches. Sessions are paced to the individual and aim to align thoughts and values with meaningful action.
In practical terms she focuses on helping people notice unhelpful patterns, clarify personal values, and take small values-guided steps. Conversations often cover communication problems, forgiveness, guilt and shame, and rebuilding trust after infidelity. Irene also addresses HIV / AIDS related concerns when they appear in a client's story.
She describes the work as collaborative and respectful of each person’s faith commitments when those are part of the work. The emphasis is on strengthening emotional regulation, improving relationships, and finding more consistency between beliefs and daily life.
People who prefer to include spiritual practices can expect those to be used alongside psychological tools. Others who prefer a purely psychological focus can continue with ACT and client-centred methods without spiritual content. Irene encourages a steady, practical rhythm of sessions to support ongoing change.
How ACT and client-centred work in online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings and decide what matters to them. In practice this often means naming personal values and taking small steps that move life in that direction, which can help with anxiety, emptiness and relationship concerns. Client-centred therapy focuses on a respectful, non-directive conversation that prioritises the person’s perspective and timing. It is useful when someone needs space to sort through emotions around trauma, parenting or shame.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Irene will discuss ACT, client-centred methods and any spiritual preferences with each person and together they will decide which methods to try. That choice is reviewed over time and adjusted to fit the client’s needs, goals and preferences.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They can also make it simpler to continue therapy after a move or during life changes, while letting the therapist and client focus on practical steps and values-driven action.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she help with?
Irene works with stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, parenting concerns and low self-esteem. She also addresses related areas such as attachment, body image, caregiver stress, fertility and isolation.
How would she approach someone feeling stuck in life?
She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and client-centred methods to help people clarify values and take small, practical steps. Conversations focus on noticing patterns and aligning actions with what matters.
How much experience does she have?
Irene has 15 years of professional experience working with adults in Australia. That experience includes work across relationship, trauma and parenting concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is listed with the Australian Association of Social Workers, shown as AASW, and practises in Australia.
Can I work with her if I live outside Australia?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats does she use?
Please confirm the current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats. The site matching step will show what Irene offers right now.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time. Exact pricing is provided during the matching or booking steps.
How do I get started with a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session through the site.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.