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Counselling and Coaching

 

Areas of Special Interest

I have a particular interest in working with people experiencing stress, overwhelm and anxiety.

 

My Approach

As a counselling psychologist I work alongside you to help you address the issues or challenges you come to counselling to sort out. I help you to gain understanding and insight into the issues and help you to find strategies that will result in successful change. I believe that solutions need to be practical, workable and uncomplicated – strategies need to make sense. 

I have a geeky interest in neuro-science and how knowledge of neuro-science can help us understand our own behaviour and how our minds work, which in turn can help us to make the changes we want to make in our lives.

I have a strong interest in the ‘body-mind’ connection – that is, the way our bodies (particularly our physiology) affect our emotional and mental wellbeing, and vice versa.  I also have a strong interest in helping people who experience high levels or chronic anxiety.   I am also trained in Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP).

My background work experience includes: primary school teaching, career counselling, counselling in a pain clinic, working as a student counsellor at the Massey University Student Counselling Service (for 13 years, until 2017), private practice counselling.

I use a mix of approaches: 

  • Mindfulness-based therapies focus on self-acceptance, being less in our heads and more able to enjoy the moment, and teach us skills that help us not to get so hooked into unhelpful thoughts and feelings. This helps us to manage strong emotions in a more helpful way. Mindfulness helps us to be more kind and accepting towards ourselves.
  • Solution-focussed approaches place importance on your goals for counselling, and build on skills you already have.
  • Person-centred approaches focus on careful listening, to ensure that I am staying on track with what is important to you.
  • Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) which helps you to develop different patterns (or programmes) of thinking and behaviour.
  • The Safe and Sound Protocol.  For further information about this approach click here

  

Registrations and Professional Memberships

  • Registered Psychologist
  • Member NZ Psychological Society (MNZPsS)
  • Member of the Coaching Psychology Special Interest Group (NZ Psychological Society)