-Counsellor & Social Worker-
Ari Wylder (he/him) is a counsellor and social worker with over ten years of experience supporting people through complexity, trauma, and life transitions. He works with adults and adolescents, with particular expertise working with people who are LGBTIQA+, Trans and Gender Diverse, neurodivergent, or who have experiences of marginalisation.
Drawing on work across hospital, disability, palliative care, and community settings, Ari offers an affirming, collaborative, and values-led approach. You can expect a respectful and empathetic therapeutic space that centres your lived experience and supports you to move forward in ways that are meaningful and sustainable for you.
Ari has lived and living experiences that overlap with those of many clients he supports, which often help him to more deeply understand clients. If therapeutically appropriate, he is open about this with clients.
Services
- Counselling
- WPATH assessments
- NDIS Functional Capacity Assessments (for Psychosocial Disability)
- Outreach to Aged Care Facilities & Supported Disability Accommodation
- Clinical Supervision
Specialisations
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Self-esteem
- Grief, Loss, and Bereavement
- Workplace Stress
- Adjusting to Change
- LGBTIQA+ / Trans and Gender Diversity
- Relationships and Sexuality (including Poly, Kink/BDSM)
- Neurodiversity
- Disability
- Trauma (including religious and psychiatric/medical trauma)
- Challenges of Ageing
- Life-limiting or Palliative Conditions
Treatment Modalities
Ari is trained in numerous focussed psychological strategies (FPS). The FPS he utilises depends upon the client’s presenting condition, preferences, and neurotype - some FPS work for some people and not for others; that's why Ari is flexible in his approach. He is neurodivergent affirming and collaborates with clients on treatment pathways.
The FPS which he uses regularly are:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT)
- Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
- Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
- Schema Therapy
- Prolonged Grief Disorder Therapy (PGDT)
Training & Professional Development
Ari has a Master of Social Work and is a registered member of the AASW. Ari receives his own regular clinical supervision, as well as providing supervision to other clinicians. He is currently undertaking training in EMDR (level 1 & 2), and anticipates being able to provide this from May 2026.
Fees
Counselling (60-minute session) - $170
Counselling (90-minute session) - $240
Clinical Supervision (60-minute session) - $170
Travel Costs (for outreach) - $1/km based on Google maps and the most direct route, plus $80/hr pro rata for time travelled.
For people on a low-income or facing financial hardship/barriers, Ari is able to offer a small number of clients reduced fees where the cost is $120 per session.
WPATH Assessments:
Adults– approx. $340 - $510 (usually 2 or 3 x 60-minute sessions)
Adolescents – approx. $510 - (usually 3 to 5 x 60-minute sessions)
As part of his solidarity with the trans and gender diverse community, Ari doesn’t charge an additional cost for the writing of the report; the only fee is that of the sessions themselves.
Note: The exact number of sessions needed varies depending upon complexity. The cost per session is the hourly rate of $170. For pre-existing clients, usually only 2 sessions are required; for clients with significant complexity, it could be up to 5 sessions. In order to keep fees as low as possible, he often sends questionnaires to complete outside of sessions.
Funding
Ari is currently registered to provide services to clients who receive funding from various services and organisations, such as NDIS, Victims Services NSW, Victims of Crime Financial Assistance Scheme (formerly known as VOCAT), and the Transport Accident Commission. For NDIS funding, he bills under line item 15_621_0128_1_3 - Assessment, Recommendation, or Therapy - Social Worker.
He knows that it’s hard for clients with certain types of funding to find a counsellor who meets their complex needs and who will also accept their funding source. He is committed to trying to work with whichever funding source you have, wherever possible.
