Shankari Sundaram

Locations

Glenelg

Client Age Groups

Elders 65+
Children 12-15
Adults
Adolescents/Youth 16-25

Currently available for new bookings

Shankari practices at our Glenelg rooms.

She is available for Saturday morning appointments (9:00am until 1:00pm).

Shankari is accepting new clients, and is available for Face-to-Face and Telehealth appointments in English and also in Hindi/Urdu and Tamil.

Hello, my name is Shankari. I don’t have a shorter version of my name that I go by. When we meet, I can share a trick to make it easier to remember my name.

When you come to your first session with me, I will start by understanding your concerns and what you hope to get out of therapy. I believe that this space is yours, and as such I will always facilitate a safe place and relationship to explore your experiences, relationships, thoughts and emotions freely. If you’d prefer a more “structured” approach, I can easily also use tools, strategies, and specific therapeutic interventions tailored to your needs, the choice is yours. I endeavour to be remembered as a therapist who sits comfortably in discomfort with her clients, truly listens without judgment and is able to challenge while providing high support.

My practice has been informed by my work as a trauma counsellor and therapist with victims of crime in South Australia, through which I provide short to medium term psychological support to clients navigating the criminal justice process or those that want to work on historical crimes they have experienced. I also provide short-term, solutions focussed therapy under the Employee Assistance Program. Other work involves me coaching veterans across Australia in mindfulness based practices. By using a combination of thought based (cognitive) and body based (somatic) approaches, I help my clients achieve their desired outcomes.

I find that the skills and knowledge I’ve brought from my education, training, and ongoing professional development, are complemented by my 40 years of practicing mindfulness-based techniques. This direct experience of consistent practice and its impact on my life, allows me to fully embody this approach and bring these qualities to the therapeutic process and relationship. I am also therefore able to bring these ideas into my sessions in creative ways. I will be checking in and seeking feedback from you as we go through our journey, to ensure we are working on what is most important for you at the present time.

I consult at Glenelg on Saturday mornings, offering a range of both business and after hour appointments both face-to-face and via Telehealth.

Therapeutic Approach

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Mindfulness based practices
Compassion Focussed Therapy
Radical Exposure Tapping/ Emotional Freedom Technique tapping
Somatic Therapies

Qualifications and Memberships

Master of Social Work, Flinders University, 2020
Diploma of Counselling, Bower Place, 2016
Member of Australian Association of Social Workers as an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
Registered provider with Medicare, Australia

Special Areas of Interest

Being heard and understood in our native language enables a more powerful way to communicate our thoughts and feelings, which is why I not only conduct my sessions in English, but also offer sessions in Hindi/Urdu and Tamil because I am also fluent in those languages.

I also have an interest in working with people who are impacted by lingering effects of traumatic experiences and stress, whether historical or recent. This trauma can manifest itself in different ways and arise from different causes, including:

Homicide (secondary victims)
Sexual assault
Family and domestic violence
Child sexual abuse and assault
Financial frauds and scams
Home invasions
Serious criminal trespass
Theft

The presenting concerns may be anxiety, depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), sleep disturbances and nightmares, and grief and loss. Even when we may not choose to use the term trauma for some of our experiences, I believe, learning how to process different kinds of emotional wounds can help shift perspectives in other areas of life too.

Fee Schedule

Sessions of 50 minute duration are available via Face to Face or Telehealth.

Business Hour Sessions – Between 9.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday – are $220.00
After Hour Sessions – Before 9.00am and after 5.00pm Monday to Friday & Saturdays – are $250.00

Medicare Rebates of $82.30, can be applied if you are under a Mental Health Care Plan referred by your GP, Psychiatrist or Paediatrician, leaving a gap fee applicable of $137.70-$167.70.

50 minute sessions are the standard length for subsequent individual sessions unless otherwise negotiated.

For full details of payment types and different payment processes for after hour appointments, Telehealth appointments, private health, and NDIS referrals, please visit our Fees and Payments page.

Booking Information