Sharyn Brew, PACFA

Sharyn Brew is an experienced infant, child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapist who also practises as a Registered Clinical Counsellor. She is a member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Association of Australia (PACFA) - a national professional association for therapists - and of the Child Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Association of Australia, and she completed her clinical training through the latter organization.

Her work focuses on children and families, with particular expertise supporting children who have neurodevelopmental differences or intellectual disabilities and families affected by trauma that may span generations. Sharyn also supports children who present behavioural challenges at home or school, working closely with parents and carers to understand patterns and develop practical, compassionate responses.

Sharyn blends psychoanalytic perspectives with clinically informed counselling to create a reflective, developmentally attuned approach. She aims to offer a supportive space where caregivers and young people can explore emotions, relationships and the underlying dynamics that influence behaviour. Her practice emphasises collaboration, careful observation and tailored strategies to help families navigate stress, anxiety, attachment concerns and other challenges across the lifespan.

Approaches to Child and Family Therapy Online

Sharyn integrates psychoanalytic psychotherapy with developmentally focused family work to support children and their caregivers. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy involves exploring emotional patterns, early relationships and unconscious dynamics to understand how these shape behaviour and feelings; it can be helpful for anxiety, attachment difficulties and complex emotional responses. She also applies attachment-focused methods that pay attention to parent-child relationships, offering ways to strengthen emotional bonds and manage relational stressors often seen in parenting and developmental concerns.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the collaborative process. Sharyn works with clients to identify goals and preferences, then adapts methods to suit the child and family context so that interventions feel practical and relevant rather than prescriptive.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging - make it easier for busy families to access care. These formats provide flexibility for scheduling, allow continuity when in-person meetings are difficult, and enable ongoing support between sessions. Licensed professionals and therapists can still deliver thoughtful, evidence-informed care through these channels while tailoring their approach to each family's needs.