Meet Vanessa Allen

Vanessa Allen is the Director of Evolving Minds Counselling and Psychology in Menai and an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and Psychotherapist with over 18 years of experience providing therapy to children, adolescents and adults across the Sutherland Shire. Her background includes extensive work in child protection, which informs her therapeutic approach to developmental trauma, attachment difficulties and family systems. She offers a warm, calm and respectful therapeutic space where people can feel heard, understood and supported.

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Vanessa works with people experiencing eating disorders, attachment and relationship difficulties, anxiety, and life transitions. She also has a particular interest in trauma therapy and works with people impacted by relational and developmental trauma, as well as those navigating neurodivergence, including ADHD and autism.

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Vanessa has advanced training in eating disorder therapies and holds credentialing with the Australia and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders (ANZAED). Her work draws on evidence-based therapies including CBT-E, MANTRA, RO-DBT, Family-Based Therapy (FBT), and Temperament-Based Therapy with Support (TBTS).

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She holds postgraduate qualifications in trauma and has been delivering Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) since 2021, including advanced training in EMDR for attachment trauma. Her trauma work integrates attachment-focused frameworks and somatic, body-based approaches that support nervous system regulation, with attention to the connection between thoughts, emotions and physical experience. This work may explore the impact of early experiences, relationship patterns, and significant life events

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Vanessa also offers reparative parenting, supporting parents and carers of children who have experienced developmental trauma, attachment disruption, or who are in foster, kinship or adoptive care.

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In addition to her clinical work, Vanessa provides clinical supervision, drawing on her experience across trauma, eating disorders, attachment-focused practice, and child protection.

 

Vanessa also works with women and families during the perinatal period, including pregnancy, postnatal adjustment and identity changes in parenthood.

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Areas of Interest

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• Eating disorders and body image difficulties

• Trauma, developmental trauma and relational trauma

• Reparative parenting and attachment-focused parenting support

• Neurodivergent mental health, including ADHD and autism

• Perinatal mental health and parenting

• Anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation

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Vanessa offers in-person appointments at the Menai practice and works with clients across the Sutherland Shire, including Bangor, Illawong, Alfords Point and surrounding areas, as well as the neighbouring St George area, including Hurstville and surrounds. She also works with clients online across Australia.

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You can explore the Conditions We Work With page to learn more.

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​To arrange an appointment with Vanessa, please call 02 8519 4197 or click on the button below to access our online booking form.