RS Portrait of Ruth Sanders

Ruth Sanders, AASW

Helpful support for stress and anxiety

8 years in practice · based in Australia · sessions in English · online sessions

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About Ruth

Ruth Sanders is an AASW social worker with eight years of experience supporting people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, grief and major life changes. She aims to make the first step feel less overwhelming. Her manner is warm and non-judgemental, and she encourages honest conversation about feelings and fears.

Ruth uses a client-centred style that focuses on each person’s strengths. She listens first, then helps people set small, practical goals. Sessions are conversational and straightforward, with tools people can use between meetings.

Book with Ruth Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Background and approach

Her background includes working alongside carers and people dealing with compassion fatigue. She also supports those facing relationship breakups, family-of-origin problems, and mood changes. Ruth offers help for issues such as attachment difficulties, avoidant personality patterns, and communication problems.

Ruth draws on a mix of approaches when needed. She uses acceptance and commitment ideas to help people clarify values, cognitive behavioural strategies to address unhelpful thinking, and motivational interviewing to support change. Dialectical skills and narrative techniques are also used to build coping skills and reframe experience.

People who come to Ruth can expect a collaborative process. She helps each person decide which methods suit their situation and pace. Her aim is steady progress so people feel more capable managing stress and anxiety in day-to-day life.

Evidence-informed approaches for online support

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small steps toward those values despite anxiety or difficult feelings. It emphasises mindfulness and committed action rather than trying to remove every uncomfortable thought. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and testing them with practical behavioural experiments to reduce anxiety and improve mood. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative way to build readiness for change by exploring ambivalence and strengthening a person’s own reasons for taking different actions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Ruth will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and fit methods to their needs. This is a collaborative process where approaches can be combined or adjusted over time to suit how someone prefers to work.

Online therapy makes it easier to access regular support. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions need less bandwidth and can fit into a shorter break. Live chat or text-based messaging suit quick check-ins, ongoing reflection, or when typing feels easier than speaking. These options offer flexibility so people can choose what fits their routine and comfort.
Book with Ruth Now Review online therapy options and next steps.

Questions people ask

What concerns does Ruth commonly help with?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, problematic substance use, grief and coping with life changes. Additional focus areas include compassion fatigue, relationship separation, and mood concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Ruth takes a client-centred, strengths-based approach. Sessions are conversational and focused on practical steps people can use between meetings.
How much professional experience does she have?
Ruth has eight years of professional work experience in the mental health field in Australia.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is listed with AASW and works from Australia.
Are sessions offered in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and Ruth does not accept international clients.
Which formats are used for sessions?
Ruth offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging as session formats.
How are sessions paid for and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions operate via a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with Ruth?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to therapist availability.

What this therapist works with

Experience
8 years
Licensed
Languages
English

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