Suchi Arandara

Suchi Arandara, Clinical Psychologist
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Suchi Arandara

(she/her)
“I believe that building a therapeutic relationship grounded in trust, understanding, and respect is key to doing meaningful psychological work together. I create a safe, curious, and compassionate space where my clients can express their internal experiences and explore how they engage with the external world.”

AREAS OF EXPERIENCE

I work with adolescents, young adults, and adults experiencing a broad range of concerns, including:

  • Anxiety, depression, and other mood-related difficulties: Persistent worry, low mood, reduced motivation, hopelessness, emotional numbness, or feeling overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions.
  • Trauma, PTSD, and complex trauma: Support with the ongoing impacts of trauma, including hypervigilance, emotional overwhelm, avoidance, shame, relationship difficulties, and feeling unsafe or disconnected.
  • Borderline Personality Disorder: Support with intense emotions, an unstable sense of self, fears of rejection or abandonment, impulsivity, and difficulties within relationships.
  • Emotional dysregulation: Feeling easily overwhelmed, experiencing intense or rapidly changing emotions, reacting impulsively, or finding it difficult to calm down once distressed.
  • Neurodivergence, including ADHD, autism, and AuDHD: Support with attention, executive functioning, sensory needs, emotional intensity, social experiences, masking, burnout, and developing strategies that work with your individual brain.
  • Attachment difficulties and unhelpful relationship patterns: Fear of rejection, difficulty trusting others, reassurance seeking, people pleasing, withdrawing, or repeatedly feeling stuck in painful relationship dynamics.
  • Workplace stress: Pressure, burnout, interpersonal conflict, self-doubt, difficulty setting boundaries, or feeling emotionally depleted by work demands.
  • Self-esteem and strong internal criticism: Persistent self-doubt, harsh self-judgement, perfectionism, feelings of inadequacy, or difficulty recognising your strengths and achievements.
  • Interpersonal issues: Difficulties communicating needs, managing conflict, setting boundaries, maintaining relationships, or feeling understood and connected to others.
  • Adjusting to stressful changes and life transitions: Feeling unsettled, overwhelmed, or uncertain following major changes such as relationship endings, changes in work or study, moving, loss, or shifts in identity and direction.
  • Sleep issues: Difficulty falling or staying asleep, disrupted sleep routines, racing thoughts at night, or sleep difficulties associated with stress, anxiety, or low mood.

ABOUT SUCHI

As a clinical psychologist, I value authenticity, curiosity, and openness to different perspectives. While my work is grounded in evidence-based approaches, I welcome collaboration and feedback to tailor therapy to suit your unique circumstances, goals, and pace. I take a holistic approach to therapy, recognising that our struggles rarely exist as isolated symptoms. Rather, they are often influenced by the complex interplay of our relationships, environments, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences. Together, we can explore these factors to identify unhelpful patterns and better understand what may be contributing to your current challenges.

A central part of my work is helping people cultivate greater self-compassion. While treating ourselves with kindness can be one of the hardest skills to practice, it can be a powerful foundation for healing, resilience, and lasting change. As humans, we typically encounter experiences that leave us overwhelmed or disconnected. Having someone walk alongside you offering support and space to reflect can make a meaningful difference in how you respond to and integrate these experiences. I welcome the opportunity to work alongside you as you navigate life’s challenges.

I have worked with adolescents, young adults, and adults presenting with a broad range of concerns in community and outpatient services mainly within the public health system. As an immigrant, my personal journey has shaped both who I am and how I practice. It has broadened my perspective and allowed me to appreciate the uniqueness of each person’s story. I understand that there is no one “right” way to think, feel, communicate, or experience the world and this perspective informs my practice.

Outside of work, I enjoy spending time in nature, creating art, dancing, and reading fiction.

THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES

My therapeutic style is trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, culturally competent, and gender-affirming. Sessions may involve developing practical skills to regulate emotions, building greater awareness and reflection, using somatic practices to support mind-body regulation, changing unhelpful patterns, and practising communication or interpersonal skills. I draw on a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches that can be adapted to match your individual needs, preferences, goals, and pace. Approaches I commonly use include:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Helps you develop greater psychological flexibility, make space for difficult thoughts and emotions, and take meaningful action guided by your values.
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT): Practical strategies for identifying and changing unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaviour that may be contributing to distress.
  • Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT): Supports the development of a kinder and more balanced relationship with yourself, particularly when experiencing shame, self-criticism, or feelings of inadequacy.
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills: Practical skills for managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, strengthening mindfulness, and navigating relationships more effectively.
  • CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I): A structured, evidence-based approach that addresses the thoughts, habits, and sleep patterns that can contribute to ongoing insomnia.
  • ACT for Insomnia (ACT-I): Uses acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based strategies to reduce the struggle with sleeplessness and support a more flexible relationship with sleep.
  • Motivational Interviewing (MI): Helps you explore mixed feelings about change, clarify what matters to you, and strengthen your confidence and motivation to move forward.
  • Trauma-Focused ACT: Applies ACT principles in a trauma-informed way to reduce avoidance, build emotional flexibility, and support reconnection with safety, values, and the present moment.
  • Mindfulness interventions: Awareness and grounding practices that can help you notice thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without becoming overwhelmed or reacting automatically.
  • Somatic practices: Body-based strategies that support nervous system regulation, increase awareness of physical responses, and help restore a greater sense of safety and connection.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Master of Clinical Psychology, La Trobe University
  • Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours, La Trobe University

 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  • Registered Psychologist (Clinical) with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)

 

LANGUAGES

  • English
  • Sinhalese