A Canberra judge on Thursday sentenced Donna Louise Hogan, 57, to a suspended 16-month jail sentence.

Justice John Burns also ordered Hogan to sign a two-year good behaviour order.

Hogan appeared in the ACT Supreme Court for sentence after pleading guilty to stealing $71,128 from her employer via 697 separate transactions over 2½ years from December 2011.

The court heard she had created false transactions by processing refunds for pairs of shoes that had never left the Civic shop.

She then created false receipts under names of old school friends and took the money from the cash register.

An October sentence hearing heard Hogan suffered from a number of mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and had experienced a high number of traumatic experiences during the offending period.

She had spent the stolen cash to make herself feel better, the court heard.

She had little recollection of what she spent the money on, other than clothes and giving small amounts to her children.

In evidence, Hogan's psychiatrist said the offender had been severely disturbed at the time, with an emotional disconnection and a lack of judgment that usually manifested in behaviours such as overspending.

The psychiatrist said Hogan also displayed symptoms of dissociation and while she looked very functional on the outside, she struggled on an emotional and interpersonal level.

The court also heard Hogan had repaid more than $61,000 to the shoe company from her superannuation savings.

Justice Burns accepted the offender's judgment had been impaired and had not fully realised her wrongdoing.

He said this reduced her moral culpability.

The judge also found Hogan had excellent prospects of rehabilitation and had shown true remorse.