Serife Erten, ACA, PACFA

Serife Erten is a credentialed mental health professional in Australia with 28 years of clinical experience. She has worked in a variety of settings, including private practice, community mental health, education, and trauma-focused services, bringing a breadth of experience to each client's situation.

Her therapeutic approach is compassionate, respectful, and tailored to the individual. Serife adopts a holistic perspective that recognises the connections between mind, body, and emotional wellbeing, and she designs care that aligns with each person's values, pace, and goals.

She supports individuals and couples facing stress and anxiety, relationship and family challenges, low self-esteem, grief and loss, emotional regulation difficulties, life transitions, trauma and abuse, depression, parenting concerns, career issues, ADHD, and coping with chronic illness or pain. Her work also addresses specific concerns such as hoarding, obsessive and compulsive patterns, phobias, post-traumatic stress, social anxiety, workplace issues, and young adult adjustment.

Serife integrates evidence-based methods including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy to help clients develop insight, practical coping strategies, and sustainable change. She holds ACA and PACFA credentials - national counselling and psychotherapy associations in Australia - and practices in a client-centred, collaborative way that emphasises the client as the expert in their own life. Serife is committed to supporting and empowering people as they take steps toward greater balance and wellbeing.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take steps toward those values while learning new ways to accept difficult thoughts and feelings. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions because it focuses on meaningful action rather than symptom elimination alone.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behaviour patterns. It is often used for anxiety, low mood, stress, and problems where specific coping strategies can make a measurable difference.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines skills training in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness to support people struggling with intense emotions or relationship difficulties.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Serife works collaboratively with each person to explore which methods match their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers flexibility and access to care through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into work, family, or health commitments. These options allow licensed professionals and therapists to deliver consistent support, practical tools, and real-time feedback while accommodating different communication styles and schedules.