Counsellor profile
Andy Bouwman, AASW
Based in Australia · 5 years of experience
Counsellor for anxiety, trauma and addictions
Continue with AndyAt a glance
- Registration
- AASW, Australia (496751)
- Qualifications
- AASW
- Experience
- 5 years
- Languages
- English
- Based in
- Australia
Details come from information Andy supplied to BetterHelp.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- EMDR methods
- Psychodynamic approaches
About Andy
AASW. 5 years' experience. Andy Bouwman is an AASW social worker and counsellor based in Australia who works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, and depression. He uses clear, practical language in sessions and focuses on helping people manage symptoms and make decisions that fit their life.
Andy draws primarily on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, with additional techniques from psychodynamic work and EMDR where appropriate. He explains approaches in simple terms and uses exercises and conversations to build coping strategies. Sessions involve talking through current problems, identifying values, and testing small changes between meetings.
His background includes work in public mental health services where he supported people with personality-related concerns, eating-related issues, and addiction alongside mood and trauma presentations. That experience informs how he plans care and sets realistic, step-by-step goals with clients.
In practice he pays attention to attachment and communication patterns that maintain distress. He helps people address guilt, shame, isolation, and questions about life purpose. Andy also works with social anxiety, phobia, and broader interpersonal difficulties.
Sessions are conducted in English. He does not accept international clients. Before booking, readers should confirm current session formats and any local arrangements through the booking process.
How ACT, EMDR and psychodynamic work online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions in that direction. It uses practical exercises, values-based goals and mindfulness-style noticing to reduce the impact of unhelpful thoughts and feelings.Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, involves guided attention and memory processing techniques to reduce the intensity of traumatic memories. It is often used for trauma-related symptoms and distress linked to painful events.
Psychodynamic work looks at patterns from a person’s past that affect current relationships and feelings. It involves talking about repeated patterns, early relationships and how those patterns show up now.
Choosing an approach is a shared process. The counsellor will talk through goals, preferences and what has or hasn’t helped before, and then test methods together rather than prescribing a single method from the start.
The practical benefits of online sessions include fitting counselling into a weekday or work break and reducing travel time. The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Sessions can be arranged to suit routines and make attendance easier without promising a particular delivery method.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
Australia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does he work with?
He works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, and depression, plus related areas such as attachment, communication problems, guilt and shame, isolation and life purpose.
What style of counselling does he use?
He mainly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and also draws on EMDR and psychodynamic approaches to suit individual needs.
How much experience does he have?
He has five years of clinical experience working in public mental health settings and community services.
What are his credentials and where is he based?
He is listed as AASW and practises in Australia.
Does he offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and he is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Use the See online counselling options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a first session.
Checking a registration
Professional bodies keep public registers. If Andy lists a membership, you can look it up on that body's own website:
Online counselling is not emergency or medical care. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers