About Shoko
Shoko Kasanami is an AASW social worker with four years of practical experience. She draws on personal life experience and professional training to support people dealing with depression, anxiety, addictions and low self-esteem. Shoko speaks both English and Japanese and aims to make first contact feel straightforward and manageable.
Shoko practised in child protection early in her career and later joined a rehabilitation service for offenders, which shaped her understanding of complex life situations.
How Shoko works
She completed a Master of Social Work after moving from Canada and has focused on mental health work since then. Her background means she is familiar with high-stress environments and challenging life transitions. In sessions she offers a calm, non-judgemental space for people to talk through their feelings.
She uses practical approaches that help people notice unhelpful thinking patterns and try small changes. Conversations are paced to each person's comfort and goals rather than following a fixed agenda. Shoko also pays attention to issues like body image, guilt and shame, loneliness, and questions about life purpose.
She works with mood disorders and social anxiety and helps people find realistic coping steps. The emphasis is on clear, doable strategies rather than abstract theory. Outside work she enjoys motorcycles, skateboarding and music.
That everyday side helps her relate when clients bring issues about identity, interests and belonging. If someone wants straightforward guidance and a steady presence, she offers practical support and quiet encouragement.
Shoko lists 3 ways of working on the entry:
What Shoko works with
The areas below are the ones Shoko selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
Training and background
| Register | AASW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 4 |
| Languages | English, Japanese |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Australia |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How these approaches work online
CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with small experiments. It is useful for anxiety, depression and social anxiety where changing patterns of thinking can ease symptoms.Narrative Therapy helps people see problems as separate from themselves by retelling experiences and finding different meanings. This approach can be helpful for issues like shame, identity and life purpose by highlighting strengths and alternative stories.
Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. Shoko will discuss goals and try methods that match each person’s needs and preferences. She adjusts pace and techniques as you learn what works and what needs changing.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different routines. Video is useful for a fuller conversation, phone calls work well if bandwidth is limited, and messaging can suit shorter check-ins or when writing things down helps. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, study or busy family life.
Start online instead of waiting
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Common questions
What concerns does Shoko commonly help with?
What is her therapeutic style like?
How much experience does she have?
What credentials and location does she hold?
Which languages are available for sessions?
What online session formats are offered?
How are sessions paid for and what about cost?
How do I start working with her?
A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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