Francisca Norma Pereira Martins, ACA

Francisca Norma Pereira Martins is an ACA counsellor who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, grief, anger and major life changes. She also supports carers with the stresses of caregiving and people dealing with workplace strain, communication problems, guilt, shame and questions of life purpose. Her approach is practical and respectful, focused on clients' strengths and choices. Francisca believes clients are the experts in their own stories. She listens to what matters most and uses that as a starting point. Sessions aim to build resilience and help clients make decisions that fit their lives. Her work emphasises simple, achievable steps for behaviour change. Conversations include exploring strengths, practising new ways of responding to conflict, and trying out coping tools for anxiety and grief. She uses techniques drawn from client-centred therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused therapy. Francisca has nine years of experience in counselling. She works in English and Portuguese and practices in Australia. Her style is warm and empowering, with attention to clear goals and small actions that add up over time. People who choose to work with her can expect a collaborative process. The focus is on what the client wants to change, with practical strategies and ongoing support. She encourages realistic plans that fit everyday life and helps people track their progress.

Approaches that suit online counselling

Client-centred therapy is about listening and following the client's lead. It helps when someone needs space to be heard and to make sense of their feelings without pressure. Cognitive behavioural therapy, or CBT, looks at links between thoughts, feelings and actions and uses practical exercises to reduce anxiety and change unhelpful habits. Solution-focused therapy aims to find small, realistic steps toward the changes a person wants and builds on what already works for them.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic work. The therapist will discuss goals and preferences and together the client and counsellor will decide which approach, or combination, best fits the issue and the person's style. This collaboration helps shape session plans and homework tasks that feel manageable.

Session options are not listed in the biography, so please confirm current session formats before booking. Online counselling can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and support shorter check-ins when needed. It can also allow practical exercises and behavioural tasks to be tried between meetings, which helps keep momentum toward the client's goals.