Tunteeya Yamaoka, AHPRA

Tunteeya Yamaoka is an experienced therapist practising in Australia with 10 years of professional experience and registration with AHPRA - the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. She works in a direct and honest way, offering frank feedback from a kind and compassionate stance so clients can confront difficult feelings and move toward a more purposeful life.

Tunteeya creates a non-judgemental space where a full range of emotions is welcome, helping people notice that life rarely exists in black and white and that moments of light can coexist with pain. Her clinical background spans private practice, clinical settings, public and private hospitals, universities and corporate organisations, and she has supported children, teenagers, adults and couples through challenges such as anxiety, perfectionism, trauma, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Her approach is informed by a multicultural heritage - mixed racial identity (Japanese/Ghanaian) and Australian cultural experience - and by personal exposure to Eastern and Western methods. This perspective is reflected in work with relationship and attachment issues, self-esteem, life transitions and career coaching. Outside of therapy, Tunteeya enjoys drawing, painting, running, crocheting, reading cosy fiction and exercising at the gym. For information about in-person appointments in Melbourne visit www.ikigaipsychology.com.au

Therapeutic approaches and flexible online sessions

Tunteeya draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment-Based Therapy and client-centred principles in her online practise. ACT helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and focus on values-driven action rather than getting stuck in avoidance, and it is useful for anxiety, stress and life changes. Attachment-Based Therapy explores relational patterns formed in early relationships to improve current connections and address issues such as abandonment, trust and intimacy. Client-centred Therapy emphasises empathic listening and acceptance, offering a supportive environment where clients can explore identity, self-esteem and life purpose.

Choosing the right approach is treated as a collaborative process. Tunteeya works with each person to identify goals, preferences and practical needs, and will adapt methods or consult with appropriately qualified or registered professionals when needed to find the best fit.

Online therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging to increase accessibility and scheduling flexibility. These options allow clients to engage from different locations and fit sessions around work, family and other commitments while still receiving consistent therapeutic support.