Sheena Takacs
(she/her)
Founder, Principal Clinical Psychologist, Advanced Accredited Individual Schema Therapist / Supervisor & IFS Therapist
I work with adults who are living with longstanding psychological difficulties and a sense of feeling stuck. Many of the people I work with understand their struggles intellectually, yet still feel caught in patterns that do not seem to change. They may have a history of trauma, deeply entrenched beliefs about themselves and the world, problematic relationships, chronic self-criticism, or a persistent sense that despite their best efforts, or even despite previous therapy, something has not quite shifted.
I have a particular interest in working with people who have spent much of their lives overfunctioning, masking, or carrying more than others realise beneath the surface. This includes mental health clinicians, late-diagnosed or self-identified neurodivergent adults, and people experiencing burnout, imposter syndrome or overall difficulties managing intense emotions.
As a late-diagnosed AuDHD adult, my core values of compassion and authenticity are closely connected to both my lived experience and the way I show up as a clinician. I care strongly about reducing the shame, stigma, and misunderstanding that can surround mental health struggles, neurodivergence, and gender diversity, while also challenging the stereotypes that can leave people feeling unseen, isolated, or disconnected from themselves and others. I believe therapy can help people feel more understood, less alone in their experiences, and more able to live in ways that feel meaningful and true to who they are.
My Approach
Something I hear often from the people I work with is this: “I get it up here,” pointing to their head, “but I can’t seem to get it here,” pointing to their heart. That gap between intellectual understanding and emotional experience sits at the heart of why I work the way I do.
That is why I predominantly use Schema Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and other experiential approaches such as Chairwork. I believe in addressing the wounds beneath the symptoms, not just managing surface-level distress. Therapy, to me, is more than a set of tools; it’s a transformative process that can help people break free from unhelpful patterns and create lasting change.
In my experience, both personally and professionally, the most profound and lasting shifts happen when we move beyond insight alone and begin working with the parts of ourselves that carry pain, vulnerability, fear, and protective roles.
This is why I’m especially passionate about working with people who have tried other therapies but felt something was missing. My approach goes beyond teaching coping skills alone. It focuses on developing deeper self-awareness, processing unresolved pain, and creating healthier ways of relating to yourself and others.
Depending on each person’s needs, I also draw from somatic and body-oriented approaches, Compassion-Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, psychodynamic approaches, interpersonal psychotherapy, and mindfulness-based therapies.
My Background & Training
I hold a Master of Clinical Psychology and a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from the University of Wollongong. With over 15 years of experience, I have worked across a range of mental health settings, supporting individuals with complex and longstanding psychological difficulties.
I have undertaken extensive advanced training in experiential therapies, with a strong focus on developing depth of skill and providing therapy that is both effective and grounded in high standards of care.
I am an Advanced Certified Individual Schema Therapist and Supervisor accredited by the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST). I am also an IFS Therapist, having completed Level 1 training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), and have completed accreditation in Chairwork.
In addition to being a registered Clinical Psychologist, I am also a Board-Approved Supervisor with AHPRA and a member of both the Australian Clinical Psychology Association (ACPA) and the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST).
