Sylvina Borda
Psychologist
BSc (Psych), Msc (Psych), MAPS
Psy Reg No. PSY0002104775
Sylvi is a registered Psychologist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and has been practicing in Australia since 2015 across a range of public and private mental health settings. Sylvi is experienced with a range of therapeutic approaches and provides both individual therapy and couple/ relationship therapy. Sylvi is known for her highly compassionate, respectful, collaborative approach.
Individual therapy
Sylvi’s focus is on helping clients better understand themselves, their emotional and behavioural patterns, and their relationships, and supporting them in creating meaningful and lasting change. Many of the people who come to see her felt stuck in patterns of low mood or emotional detachment, anxiety, poor self-esteem, a harsh inner critic, or repeated relationship difficulties. These struggles can often be linked to earlier experiences – ranging from subtle but impactful developmental experiences where emotional and other needs were not met or environments not a good fit, to clearly identifiable traumatic events. Over time, these experiences can shape our beliefs about the self and others, cause difficulties regulating emotions, and show up in coping behaviours that interfere with relationships, work, and overall wellbeing.
Couples therapy
Sylvi also works with couples who care deeply about their relationship but find themselves stuck in cycles of conflict and withdrawal or disconnection. This may present as ongoing arguments, mismatched needs and frustration with each other, difficulties with trust, or challenges related to behaviours such as affairs or addiction. In her couples’ work, Sylvi focuses on helping both partners understand how their past experiences and current interaction patterns affect their relationship, while developing the skills needed to create a more connected, secure and satisfying relationship.
Therapeutic approach
Sylvi draws on a range of evidence-based therapies including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and narrative approaches. Treatment is always tailored to the individual or couple, guided by their goals, values, and readiness for change.
Above all, Sylvi values genuine curiosity, respect, and client-led recovery. Her approach is collaborative, transparent, and highly compassionate, with a strong emphasis on joint case formulation and psychoeducation. She aims to empower client to make sense of their difficulties rather than seeing them as personal failures. Therapy with Sylvi is active and skills-based, with a focus on practical strategies for improving emotional regulation, reducing problematic behaviours, strengthening relationships, and increasing overall life satisfaction.