Doreen Patenall, PACFA
25 years in practice
Doreen Patenall is a counsellor with 25 years of professional experience in Australia.
License and registration
- PACFA
- 20854 · expires June 2026
- Years in practice
- 25
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the registration with the body that granted it.
About Doreen
Doreen Patenall is a counsellor with 25 years of professional experience in Australia. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, trauma and grief. She aims to make the first step into therapy feel manageable and supportive.
Doreen keeps sessions straightforward and warm. She invites people to talk about what matters most and listens without judging. Conversations focus on what is happening now and what the person wants to change.
Background and approach
Her work often includes looking at patterns in relationships and how those affect day-to-day life. She uses practical tools to manage anxiety and panic attacks, and she helps people find ways to cope after loss or traumatic events. Doreen also supports clients working on body image, self-love and feelings of guilt or shame.
She draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based and Client-Centred ways of working, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to suit each person. The aim is to pick methods that match someone’s goals and preferences rather than follow a single template. Doreen describes sessions as collaborative.
She helps clients set clear, achievable steps and checks in on progress. Her style is steady, down-to-earth and focused on small changes that add up over time.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Doreen lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Coaching
- Body image
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
Approaches Doreen names
- Systemic Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Jungian Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
Therapeutic approaches and how they work online
Systemic therapy looks at patterns and connections between people and settings. It helps when issues feel linked to communication or repeated behaviours within relationships, and it can point to practical changes in how someone relates to others.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on values and actions. It teaches simple skills to notice thoughts and feelings without being driven by them, which can help with anxiety, panic and persistent worry.
Attachment-Based Therapy explores early patterns of connection and how they shape current relationships and trust. It can help people understand why they react a certain way and try new ways of relating that feel safer and more satisfying.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. The counsellor works collaboratively with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences, and will adjust the approach as needs change.
Online sessions offer flexibility with video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text messaging. Video is useful for a full conversation, phone calls work well if bandwidth is limited, chat and text let someone check in between sessions or have shorter check-ins. These options make it easier to fit counselling around work, family and daily life.
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Questions people ask
What issues does this counsellor help with?
Doreen supports people with stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and offers coaching around life purpose and self-worth.
What is the counselling style like?
Sessions are straightforward and collaborative with a warm, non-judgemental tone that focuses on practical steps and listening to what matters to the client.
How much experience does the counsellor have?
She has 25 years of professional work experience in Australia supporting a wide range of issues and life changes.
What credentials and location are listed?
The counsellor holds PACFA credentialing and is based in Australia.
Which languages and international arrangements are available?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are offered?
Sessions can be taken as video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How are fees and subscription handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with this counsellor?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.
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