Philip "Phil" Burns, ACA

Philip "Phil" Burns is an ACA counsellor who uses person-centred and evidence-based approaches to help people regain steadiness in everyday life. He aims to create calm, practical sessions where clients can make sense of stress, anxiety, relationship strain and trauma. Phil writes in clear, direct language and focuses on what a person needs now.

Phil draws on a range of therapeutic methods to meet different needs. He pays attention to how past experiences shape current feelings and behaviour, and helps people test new ways of relating and coping. Sessions are tailored so people can practise skills that fit their life and values.

There is a strong focus on relationships and intimacy-related concerns, along with mood struggles like depression. Phil also supports people facing major life stressors such as caregiving demands, cancer, ageing challenges, separation and family-of-origin problems. He works with issues linked to attachment, abandonment, codependency and communication breakdowns.

Each meeting aims to be useful and hopeful. Phil encourages clients to identify what matters to them and to try manageable steps towards those values. The overall goal is increased clarity, better coping and a stronger sense of agency in daily life.

With eight years of counselling experience in Australia, Phil brings a calm, patient approach. He invites people to explore small changes that can make routines and relationships feel more steady and connected.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online counselling

Person-centred work focuses on listening and understanding what matters to the person, then shaping sessions around those values and goals. This approach helps with stress, relationship issues and decisions that feel stuck.

Acceptance and commitment ideas encourage noticing difficult thoughts and feelings without giving them extra power, and then taking small steps towards valued parts of life. Cognitive and narrative techniques help people reframe unhelpful thinking and tell a clearer story about their past and present, which can ease anxiety and depression.

Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to choose methods that fit the client's goals, preferences and day-to-day realities, and will adapt how sessions run as needs change.

This profile does not list specific session formats, so please confirm current options before booking. Online counselling can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also suit people who prefer not to be on camera or who need a lower-bandwidth option. Discuss practical arrangements with the counsellor when arranging your first session to find what works best.