Ishma Alvi (She/Her)
Psychologist (Registered) and Board Approved Supervisor – Adults and Relationship Therapy
BA Psych., MA Clin.Psych., M.A Counselling Psych, Member AAPi, Member of Society of Australian Sexologists.
Ishma is a registered psychologist (AHPRA), Board Approved Supervisor (AHPRA) and on the Victorian Inclusive Practitioners and the Asian Australian Mental Health Practitioner lists. She is serving as the senior psychologist at Vida Psychology. With a deep understanding of the importance of building rapport and human connections, she brings not only her experience and training but also a gentle sense of humour into each session.
Ishma’s areas of interest include working with clients on relationships, whether individually or within different relationship structures, such as monogamous, polyamorous, and non-monogamous models. She provides support with transitions, such as conscious uncoupling, shifting from monogamy to non-monogamy, and negotiating polyamory and sexual play. Additionally, Ishma assists clients with a range of relationship issues, from conflict resolution to communication improvement and from intimacy to sexual health. She also offers individual counselling on intimacy, sex, and sexual wellbeing, addressing concerns such as kink and BDSM, Anorgasmia, Erectile Disorder, Premature Ejaculation, sexual arousal, and paraphilias.
She is currently working toward her accreditation as a Psychosexual Therapist with the Society of Australian Sexologists.
Furthermore, Ishma works with clients who are struggling with intimate partner/non-partner violence and abuse, addressing resulting traumas, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Trauma Reaction, and Complex PTSD.
In addition, Ishma works with clients who struggle with Anxiety Disorders such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Unspecified Anxiety Disorder. She is committed to facilitating positive change collaboratively to reduce the impact that anxiety can have on her clients’ everyday lives.
Ishma also works with those who have disordered eating and eating disorders, including Binge Eating Disorder, Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders. She works collaboratively with clients and other clinicians on their health team to ensure consistent care.
Additionally, Ishma assists clients with concerns related to phase-of-life problems, loneliness, and acculturation challenges.
Her approach to therapy is informed by her training and experience, tailored to individual client needs, and conscious of systemic variables contributing to their concerns, employing an Anti-Oppression framework and a trauma-informed lens. She ensures that the work done in sessions allows clients space and ownership of the therapeutic process. The psychological interventions she employs include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, and Gottman’s Couples Therapy.
In her free time, Ishma enjoys painting, drawing, and writing. And lifting heavy things. Just because.