Andy Bouwman

Andy Bouwman is an AASW social worker and counsellor based in Australia. He has five years of practice experience working in public mental health settings. He meets people with compassion and a practical focus, especially when life feels overwhelming or lonely.

Andy helps people who are dealing with depression, anxiety, stress and addiction. He also supports those coping with trauma and relationship strain. He pays attention to issues such as attachment, communication breakdowns, guilt and shame, and social anxiety.

His main therapeutic approach is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which he adapts to each person's needs. He also draws on psychodynamic ideas and EMDR where these approaches suit a person's goals. Andy keeps sessions straightforward and aims to make change feel manageable.

In a session he listens to what matters most to the person and works out practical steps together. He focuses on building clarity about values, small behaviour changes, and ways to lessen the impact of painful memories or negative self-beliefs. His style is calm and curious rather than directive.

People often come to Andy when they feel isolated, stuck, or overwhelmed by shame or relationship conflict. He encourages clear communication, gradual exposure to feared situations, and values-based action so people can reconnect with what matters to them.

How ACT, EMDR and psychodynamic ideas work online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and choose actions that match their values. It is useful for anxiety, depression, stress and feeling stuck. EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, focuses on reducing the hold of painful or traumatic memories by using guided processing techniques to change how those memories are experienced. Psychodynamic therapy looks at recurring patterns and past experiences that affect current relationships and emotion, helping people gain insight into why they react the way they do.

Choosing the best approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals and experiences and suggest which methods might suit them. Over time the plan can be adjusted based on what helps most and what the person prefers.

Session formats are not specified in the original biography, so confirm the current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into daily life, for example by removing travel time or allowing shorter check-ins during a lunch break. It can also make certain exercises, like ACT behavioural experiments or EMDR processing, easier to repeat between sessions when agreed with the therapist. Appropriately qualified or registered professionals can tailor online work to your needs and help you find a pace that suits your routine.