About Angie
Principal Therapist, Clinical Supervisor & Play Therapy Lecturer
When people feel genuinely safe in therapy, they don’t have to perform or mask to be accepted. They can slow down, untangle complexity, and explore new ways of relating — with steadiness, clarity and compassion.
I’m Angie Laussel — Principal Therapist at The Counselling Space. I’m an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist, Clinical Supervisor and university lecturer in play therapy, with more than 30 years of experience supporting children, adults, families and clinicians across Australia.
Over time, my work has increasingly centred on relational, attachment-based and neurodivergent-affirming practice — particularly through dyadic and filial models that strengthen parent–child connection, and through adult therapy supporting identity, trauma and self-understanding.
How I Practice
At the heart of my work is a simple belief:
Healing happens in relationship.
Not through quick fixes.
Not through authority.
But through safety, attunement and thoughtful collaboration.
Across my clinical work, I integrate:
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Trauma-transformative, nervous-system-aware practice
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Neurodivergent-affirming and gender-affirming frameworks
- Dyadic Play Therapy
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Filial / Child-Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT)
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Playful EMDR
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Systemic and attachment-based approaches
Whether I am working with a child, a parent, an adult or a supervisee, the focus remains the same: strengthening relational safety and increasing capacity — not pathologising difference.
Neurodivergence Across the Lifespan
I work with many adults who begin exploring their neurotype later in life — often after years of masking, burnout or feeling “different but not knowing why.”
I also support families who come to understand their own neurodivergence when a child is diagnosed. It is common for parents to recognise themselves in the process. That discovery can bring relief, grief, clarity and complexity — sometimes all at once.
Therapy in these moments is not about labels alone. It is about integrating identity, understanding patterns, and building practical strategies that honour how your nervous system actually works.
A Personal Context
I am also a late-diagnosed AuDHD woman. My own journey of understanding neurodivergence has deepened the way I think about masking, sensory experience, executive functioning and identity — both personally and professionally.
Lived experience does not replace clinical training. But it does shape the lens through which I practice: one that is affirming, curious and respectful of difference.
In therapy and supervision, I aim to create spaces where people do not have to mask in order to be accepted.
Gender Identity and Affirming Practice
I work with children, adolescents and adults exploring gender identity and gender diversity.
Across all ages, my approach centres:
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Affirmation without assumption
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Emotional safety within family systems
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Support through identity development
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Respect for individual pace and self-definition
- Evidence based practice consistent with the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines.
For young people, relational safety within their family is often foundational. For adults, therapy may involve unpacking earlier experiences of misunderstanding, invisibility or suppression.
Identity work is deeply personal. It deserves care, steadiness and respect.
Children, Families & Relational Work
Much of my current child-focused work takes place within the context of family relationships.
Rather than positioning therapy as something focusing only on the child, I work through the parent–child relationship using dyadic and filial approaches. Research consistently shows that when caregivers are actively involved, change is more sustainable and more deeply integrated into daily life.
This work is especially meaningful for families navigating:
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Neurodivergence (Autistic, ADHD, AuDHD and other multiply-divergent profiles)
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Anxiety, shutdown or explosive emotional patterns
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Trauma or attachment disruptions, including separation and grief / loss
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Gender identity exploration
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Complex family systems
Relational therapy requires courage. My role is to provide steadiness and clarity while parents build confidence in their own capacity.
Teaching, Supervision & Professional Leadership
Alongside clinical practice, I lecture in play therapy at university level, supporting emerging therapists to develop contemporary, evidence-informed and relationally grounded skills.
I also provide clinical supervision for social workers, play therapists and allied health professionals seeking reflective, ethical and neurodivergent-affirming practice. (I am an accredited social work supervisor and registered play therapy supervisor.)
Supervision, for me, is not oversight — it is a collaborative space for deep thinking, strengthening professional judgement and sustaining long-term ethical practice.
Increasingly, I divide my time between:
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Relational child and family therapy
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Adult therapy (particularly neurodivergence and identity work)
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Clinical supervision
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Training and professional development
My Style
Families and supervisees often describe my approach as:
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Warm but clear
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Steady in complexity
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Thoughtful and reflective
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Practical and grounded
I am comfortable holding trauma, neurodivergence, attachment wounds and identity exploration without urgency or alarm.
Therapy does not need to be dramatic to be powerful. Often the most meaningful change happens in quiet, consistent shifts.
Practical Details
I work Tuesday to Thursday, offering:
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Online sessions across Australia
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Relational child and family therapy
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Adult therapy
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Clinical supervision and consultation
If you’re seeking therapy, supervision or training grounded in relational safety and thoughtful practice, I would be honoured to walk alongside you.
