Stefanie Hagger

Founder & Clinically Registered Therapist

I am the founder of Stress Therapy Australia. Grounded in a background in Psychological Science and a Master’s in Counselling and Psychotherapy, I provide a grounded, relational space to help you find your footing again.

My practice is built on a deep commitment to safety and a fundamental belief in personal sovereignty, meaning that in this space, you are always in control of your story.

Moving Beyond the Performance

I work with adults, corporate professionals, athletes, and teens who are thoroughly exhausted from constantly performing, masking, or trying to fit into environments that do not align with their unique way of thinking.

Therapy here is not another role you have to get right. It is an authentic partnership where we move at your rhythm to build genuine, internal safety.

MY SPECIALTIES

  • Anxiety is more than just a mental worry; it is your nervous system’s response to the weight of your roles and the 'undercurrent' of your life. It can manifest as a pounding heart and rapid breathing, or as a quiet, constant hum of obsessive thinking and excessive fear. Here, we look at how your specific biology is responding to the demands you carry, providing a safe environment to settle your system and find your footing again.

  • For the person who is used to carrying it all, stress is more than just a full calendar, it is a constant tax on your nervous system and your biology. I help you move beyond surface-level coping to develop practical, grounded strategies that actually settle the “undercurrent” of pressure you carry. Together, we work collaboratively to build lasting resilience and balance, ensuring you finally have a space where you don’t have to perform and can begin to find yourself again.

  • Life Transitions Whether it is a career shift, a change in a relationship, or a new stage of parenthood, major transitions often reveal that the roles you’ve always played no longer fit. These milestones can stir up an undercurrent of uncertainty, making it hard to find your footing. I provide a steady, grounded space to help you process the emotions of these shifts and gain clarity, so you can choose how to move into your next chapter with a renewed sense of self.

  • Complex trauma describes an experience that goes beyond a single event; it is the weight of an ongoing environment that should have been safe, often leaving a person feeling deeply confused. This has wide-reaching effects on your identity and how you move through the world.

    My practice provides a grounded space to process these experiences at your own rhythm. We move through a sequence of safety: first creating a stable foundation to unpack, then ensuring you are truly heard, so that the person beneath the trauma can finally emerge, be seen and choose how you move forward.

  • Chronic conflict often creates a secondary “undercurrent” of stress that spills into your work, your health, and the atmosphere of your home. When you are the one everyone leans on, the weight of a struggling relationship can feel particularly isolating. I provide a respectful, grounded space to help you move beyond the patterns of conflict and learn effective ways to communicate. Our work focuses on building a foundation of safety and clarity, allowing you to create a healthier environment for yourself and those you care for.

  • Grief is a profound response to loss that reaches far beyond sadness, often encompassing anger, confusion, and a deep sense of depletion. The process of adapting to a significant loss is deeply personal, shaped by your beliefs, your history, and the unique relationship to what was lost.

    In this space, there is no “right” way to grieve or a timeline you must follow. I provide a steady, respectful environment where you don't have to perform “being okay”. We move at your rhythm to process the weight of your loss, helping you find your footing again as you navigate this new chapter.