Cultivating

inner resilience

I have full NZAC (New Zealand Association of Counsellors) registration and 20+ years of professional experience including co-founding the Miscarriage Support movement, facilitating parenting programmes, supporting victims of family violence and school counselling.  

My work has focused on (but is not restricted to) adolescents, suicide prevention, emotional regulation, grief, family relationships, resilience building and coping with anxiety, depression and trauma. 

I first trained in counselling at Unitec and recently completed a Masters in Narrative Therapy and Community Work at the University of Melbourne.  My ongoing professional development includes Brief Solution Focused Therapy, Interactive Drawing Therapy, Family Constellation Therapy and currently, Internal Family Systems.

I also believe that holistic approaches to counselling are extremely effective.  As a former medical laboratory scientist interested in the mind-body connection, I am able to augment talking therapy with inquiries into physical health such as how sleep and exercise support optimum neurotransmitter production to combat depression, the connection between our gut microbiome and mental health and dietary changes that support this.

The NZAC Code of Ethics underpins all my work and I attend regular external supervision.

COMMON QUESTIONS

  • Narrative Therapy is a person-centered model of counselling that sees you as separate from your problems and the expert in your own life. This stance allows you to view the difficulties you have faced from a distance, empowering you to investigate thought patterns and behaviours and the effects they have had thus far. It also invites you to ‘re-write’ your view of self and cultivate a future that reflects your preferred identity, investigate your chosen capacities and purposes separately from the problems that previously held you back.

  • I am a widely experienced counsellor with a range of specialties which include:

    Suicide prevention

    Trauma work

    Anxiety

    Depression

    Family relationships

    Miscarriage and pregnancy loss

    Adolescent issues

    Self esteem and resilience building

    Abuse

    Conflict resolution

    Family violence

    Grief and loss

    Holistic approaches to wellbeing

    Identity

  • Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Development, University of Melbourne, 2019

    Registered member of NZAC, 2007

    Graduate Diploma Counselling, Unitec, 2003

    Bachelor of Arts (Social Sciences), Auckland University, 1980

    Diploma Teaching, Auckland University, 1979

  • Alongside my counselling services, I offer supervision and training. You can see My Services page for information.

  • Counselling is $120 per one-hour session, or koha by arrangement. Couples and families are priced the same as individuals.

    Supervision begins with a free 30-minute consultation, then is $120 ongoing per one-hour session for counsellors or $70 for students.

    My one day ‘Beyond Safe’ suicide prevention training workshop is $250 per person.

    Please see My Services page for further information.

  • I operate face to face Auckland-wide, am mobile and can see you in the comfort of your own home, in my home office in Lynfield, in hired professional offices for an extra fee, or, securely online.

  • In Spring 2024, for further information on click here to go to My Services page and scroll to the bottom of the page.

  • 2002 – 2003: After Hours Callout Advocate for victims of family violence, Shine*

    2001 – 2002: Internships at Mt Albert Grammar, St Marys College and Salvation Army Bethany Hostel

    1985 – 2000: Establishing the Miscarriage Support Group with Kitch Cuthbert

    1984 – 1986: Researching and writing ‘Coping with Miscarriage’ with Kitch Cuthbert

  • 2021 – 2022:  Counsellor, Lynfield College

    2009 – 2021: Counsellor and Head of Counselling, Waitakere College

    2006 – 2008: Facilitator of parenting programmes, Catholic Family Services

    2004 – 2008: Counsellor, Otahuhu College (Decile 1 secondary school)

    2003: Counsellor, Onehunga High School

    2002: Counsellor, Miscarriage Support Auckland

    2000 – 2003: Fieldworker and Facilitator, Miscarriage Support Auckland