Amy Garis
Registered Clinical Counsellor, Parramatta & Norwest
Couples, Trauma, Women
M Counselling
Amy is passionate about journeying alongside individuals and couples as they pursue healing and restoration. Her greatest desire is for people to experience “shalom” in their lives; “peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquillity”. She helps clients recognise their personal strengths, increase their resilience and provide scaffolding for change.
Areas of Counselling Practice
- Couples counselling
- Affairs and working to rebuild trust
- Conflict management
- Boundary Setting
- Trauma
- Grief and loss
- Emotional, physical & sexual abuse
- Adult survivors of child sexual abuse
- Adult mental health issues
- Anxiety and stress management
- Family-of-origin issues & attachment
- Cross-cultural transitions
- Boundary setting
- Communication
- Reconciliation
- Debriefing and life transition
- Women’s issues
- Addictive behaviour
- Work related issues
- Student issues
Educational and Professional Experience
Amy has over 25 years of experience supporting individuals from diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds, including those navigating high-stress and complex life circumstances.
She completed a Bachelor of Counselling in the United States in 2005 while serving with an international missions organisation. Over 19 years as a missionary and aid worker, Amy developed a strong foundation in pastoral care, crisis support, and personal growth, working with people from many parts of the world.
Her experience includes supporting birth mothers in residential care, facilitating crisis debriefings for aid workers and missionaries, and leading extended training programs in spiritual formation and humanitarian work. She has also led teams assisting individuals impacted by exploitation, including human trafficking, refugee displacement, and prostitution.
In 2020, Amy relocated to Sydney to complete a Master of Counselling, specialising in trauma and couples therapy. She now works in a clinical setting while continuing to deepen her professional practice.
Amy is passionate about creating a safe and compassionate space where clients feel heard, understood, and respected. She values each person’s unique story and works in a way that honours their background, beliefs, and pace of change.
Her approach is integrative and client-centred, drawing on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), psychodynamic therapy, and mindfulness-based practices. Known for being warm, intuitive, and engaging, Amy supports clients to build insight, process emotions, and move toward meaningful and lasting change.
She is committed to maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality and care, and is a member of PACFA, CCAA, and ARCAP.
Counselling Style
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Client-Centred
- Psychodynamic
- Intuitive and compassionate
- Warm and engaging
- Non-judgmental and strengths-based
- Mindfulness, breath work
- Confidentiality and privacy will be maintained at all times
