Counsellors

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Grief and loss
• Life transition
• Relationship issues (not couples counselling)
• Stress management

Avril has an approach that is gentle and non-judgemental. She works intuitively with you, responding moment by moment to issues that arise. Avril is inherently person-centred, and will treat you with unconditional positive regard and empathy. Avril is respectful of responding to each person individually, and will tailor her approach to work collaboratively to build rapport and a safe therapeutic relationship. Avril is trained in cognitive behavioural therapy, interactive drawing therapy, mindfulness, and acceptance and commitment therapy.   

She currently offers both in-person and online sessions.

Areas of specialty

• Addictions
• Relationships
• Sexuality and sexual identity

Chris's own life experiences have enabled him to have a deep care for people. An excellent listener, he is comfortable engaging with people from all walks of life and encouraging and supporting their initiatives for positive change.

In his downtime, Chris enjoys walking, reading, gardening and undertaking DIY projects. Exploring the country in their caravan is also a favourite pastime for him and his wife.

His work experience as a counsellor include 4 years with MASH trust mental health and addiction service. Previously he worked as a fitter and turner, with heavy machinery and structural engineering.

Areas of specialty

• Alcohol and drugs
• Relationships
• Sexual abuse
• Supervisor
• Trauma

Debbie is an experienced counsellor, facilitator and supervisor with 20 years' experience

Areas of specialty

• Cultural oppression
• Grief, loss and transformation
• Managing anger
• Mental wellness – hinengaro ora
• Psychotherapist
• Relationship reconnection
• Supervision
• Whakamōmori, matekitetanga
• Trauma recovery

A registered psychotherapist, Donny provides a safe and confidential space for whānau to explore challenges and limiting patterns of behaviour that no longer serve them. She uses a bicultural, contextualised approach to shine light on what was once hidden, bringing awareness to the source of suffering. This makes way for conscious responses, allowing whānau to become ‘unstuck’, expand, heal and transform. 

An indigenous psychotherapist (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Paoa), Donny advocates for rangatiratanga, enabling whānau to redefine their own mana motuhake with compassion, intention and dignity.

Donny's preference is to work exclusively with Māori, Pasifika or indigenous clients.

Areas of specialty

• Addictions 
• Chronic pain
• Family harm
• Health and disability
• Parenting
• Relationships
• Sexuality
• Sleep management
• Trauma and grief
• Workplace stress
• Registered ACC counsellor

Gill has 30+ years of extensive experience and training in a variety of health, mental health, education and not-for-profit organisations. She has worked as an ACC counsellor and for the Family Court, and now works with adults on any issue affecting their health and wellbeing.

Gill is committed to promoting kindness, empowerment, equity, change and diversity. She works with anyone with an issue affecting their wellbeing, and has a wealth of personal and professional experiences and training to draw from. Gill uses an integrated approach including a wide range of therapeutic and counselling methods to suit the person she is seeing, within a brief intervention structure. Gill knows that we are all in this life together and we all have times of peace and times of challenges. It is very normal to get caught in unhelpful patterns of behaviour, to feel overwhelmed by emotions or thoughts, and to feel stuck.

Areas of specialty

• Anger management
• Anxiety and stress
• Couples counselling
• Depression
• Grief and loss
• Self-esteem

An experienced counsellor, Heather understands the demands and challenges of workplace life, having spent over 15 years working with individuals, couples and families on personal and workplace issues and uses a client-centred approach.

Areas of specialty

• Bicultural supervision
• Couples counselling
• Cultural issues / cultural intervention
• Māori ways of working using mirimiri and whitiwhiti kōrero
• Māori whānau
• Working alongside parents

Joanne is a counsellor, therapist, healer and group facilitator with 17 years' experience within her local community in various social services and education facilities. Joanne has an extensive background in working alongside whānau/family and their young people. Much of her past work has been in supporting individuals in their parenting roles, working alongside the intricate relationships which exist inside the whānau/family unit.

Joanne is experienced in working alongside couples. A new and expanding strand to Joanne's work is that she is able to offer spiritual intervention by way of intuitive healing. Joanne believes in working from a gentle and wise place, with safety, support and integrity being of utmost importance.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety
• Conflict resolution
• Diminishing passive/aggressive behaviours
• Exploring depression
• Harnessing anger
• Relationship and transitional issues
• Restoring low self-esteem
• Somatic regulation
• Trauma work

Judith has experienced her own journey of healing through therapy and support, and now sees 'problems' as challenges that can bring positive growth with fresh understanding. She is a wife, mother and grandmother who embraces life, and loves journeying with clients to discover more of their own untapped potential to overcome.

Areas of specialty

• Home and family relationship issues
• Self-care and lifestyle balance challenges
• Stress, anxiety and low mood challenges
• Supervision
• Work relationship issues

With over 25 years' experience as a social worker and supervisor and over 8 years working as an EAP clinician, Karen has skills in communication and supporting people to find solutions to challenges. She works from a strengths-based approach, using reflective practice and always seeing a person in the context of their situation. Karen holds the belief that each person she works with has resources, skills and capabilities and that it is her role is to ask the helpful questions and unlock their ability to find their way forward. This at times may include providing them with information or validation and resources to further enhance what they already know. Karen works in a collaborative way alongside people and will incorporate tools and methods that assist with finding solutions together.

If you work with her, Karen promises to be honest and to work in a mana-enhancing way to assist in finding solutions.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety & depression
• Loss and grief
• Relationship-related issues
• Stress

Lea is a person-centred and experienced counsellor who has worked in variety of settings with people with a range of issues and cultures.

Lea’s significant losses in life have given her the first-hand experience on grief journey.  She has a passion to walk alongside of person experiencing loss and to help to find healing and adjust to new life.

Lea uses CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), interactive drawing therapy, mindfulness, and solution-focused models in counselling. 

Areas of specialty

• ACC-approved family court counsellor
• Anxiety and depression
• Emotional and general issues
• Loss and grief
• Relationship issues
• Trauma
• Women's health and wellbeing

Lynley has extensive experience working with all issues and has a particular interest in trauma and grief. Lynley is eclectic in her practice, drawing from many theoretical frameworks to inform her work with clients. 

Lynley has most recently trained in an effective psychological intervention, BrainWorking Recursive Therapy. This can quickly reduce the anxiety associated with trauma memories or phobias (within one session), so it no longer causes distress. The wonder of this intervention is that you don't need to talk about details of the trauma to resolve the impact of it.

For more information about Lynley, see lepinecounselling

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• Couples counselling
• Grief and loss
• LGBTQI
• Mental health issues
• Parenting education
• Supervision
• Trauma therapy
• Work and personal relationships

Lynley has over 20 years' experience in providing counselling support to individuals, couples, and families. Lynley has a long held passion for couples and family therapy work. This extends to working with individuals and families of our first response services, including health, fire and emergency, and St Johns. Lynley works together with those seeking counselling to find the therapeutic approach that best fits them, rather than a one size fits all approach.

Areas of specialty

• Anger management
• Anxiety and depression
• Grief and loss
• Supervision
• Trauma
• Workplace issues

Lynn has many years' experience working with individuals and families experiencing mental health conditions, including the spectrum of personality disorders.  She also supports families affected by addiction and previously facilitated generalist counselling at DOVE Hawkes Bay.

Lynne uses various modalities dependent on the client and specialises in rational emotive behaviour therapy and motivational interviewing. She also has experience working with NZ Deaf community.

Areas of specialty

• Depression and anxiety
• Relationship issues
• Sexual abuse
• Supervision
• Trauma

Mary is an eclectic counsellor who uses many strategies that she tailors to the issues brought to the counselling room. Mary believes that every person is the expert in their own lives and has huge resources that they often just need help in accessing.

Areas of specialty

• Anger management
• Domestic abuse and violence
• Family conflict and relationship issues
• Parenting

Neil is an experienced counsellor and group facilitator that has been involved in clinical work for the past 10+ years. He works alongside male clients who are navigating major life transitions, coping with mental health challenges, or seeking greater self-awareness.

Neil works alongside his clients to tailor support to the client’s bespoke needs. He utilises narrative talk therapy to create a supportive environment for his clients to explore their past, understand their present, and work towards their future goals.

Neil’s approach is person-centered - putting you in control of your therapeutic journey. He incorporates solutions-focused brief therapy and motivation interviewing to assist you to achieve manageable goals. His counselling sessions embrace a strength-based, trauma-informed framework.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• EMDR
• Executive coaching
• Lifestyle change/managing change
• Nutrition therapy
• Relationships
• Stress management
• Supervisor
• Trauma management

Nici has worked in social service agency settings as a counsellor, clinical supervisor and manager for over 9 years, and now also in private practice. She has supervised counsellors, psychologists, social workers and other caring professionals for the last 6 years.

Nici has a focus on wellness models in her supervision. A holistic and wellness approach to supervision sees people as intrinsically relational beings of mind, body and soul. She is supportive with a strengths-based view.

Areas of specialty

• Children and family
• Couples
• Grief
• Sensitive Claim
• Supervision
• Trauma

Pauline has a bachelor’s degree in social work and a post graduate diploma in social service supervision. Pauline has worked in allied health and social service for over 25 years. This has been in care and protection, disability, change management, community management.

Pauline has moved from frontline work and management into therapy and counselling. Working in areas of trauma, couples, grief and sensitive claims.

Pauline is also very passionate about supervision and has been working in these areas for over 15 years.

Areas of specialty 

• Anxiety and stress management
• Grief and loss
• Relationship
• Self-awareness
• Self-confidence and authenticity
• Spiritual awakening
• Trauma healing

Ratna is trained in psychosynthesis, a form of psycho-spiritual psychology. She can help you to know yourself better; to differentiate and understand what is going on for you on all levels: body, feelings and mind. She guides you to establish an embodied, grounded, effective way of being practical everyday life. The process also supports you to grow spiritually, whatever that means for you.

In confidential, caring and relational ways, Ratna works within a holistic framework; understanding that we all have our own answers within. You will be given space, encouragement and guidance to explore and discover your own solutions.

Ratna has been working as a counsellor since 2010 and is a firm believer in walking your talk - and that to be a good counsellor, one needs to look deeply at themselves in an ongoing way. She has undertaken extensive work in spiritual practice and personal therapy, and has experience being in the clients' seat. She can confidently guide and be alongside anyone walking their own healing path.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• Bullying
• Career direction
• Conflict resolution
• Identity
• Life changes
• Obsessive behaviours
• Phobias
• Problem solving
• Relationship and family issues
• Stress management
• Trauma

Sometimes the outside can get too much and is hard to navigate. Sometimes the inside gets really overwhelming and it becomes hard to operate. Rob is passionate about supporting people to find their way through these times, he will help you understand where you are, see different perspectives, and find practical solutions that will initially help cope and then begin to move forward again.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• Grief and loss
• Family separation
• Perinatal mental health
• Suicide

Counselling in Manawatu for over 20 years, Rose has worked with a wide range of age groups and people from diverse backgrounds. She seeks to share knowledge and explore ideas that construct different ways of living and being in relationship with people, pain and problems - helping people to work for positive change in their lives.

Rose's practice is informed by narrative therapy, an approach that is vitally interested in the unique skills and knowledge that each person develops in the course of their lives.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Family harm
• Grief and loss
• Life changes
• Parenting
• Personal wellbeing
• Stress management
• Work and personal relationships

Sherina has been working as a counsellor for 18 years, and has a wide range of personal and professional experience. She has worked at several social service agencies, as well as having her own practice.

Sherina has an eclectic approach to her work, integrating various modalities of counselling with practical tools and strategies for clients. This includes always working to promote empowerment, equity, safety, support and integrity.

Areas of specialty

• Abuse
• Alcohol and drugs
• Anger management
• Anxiety and depression
• Relationships and parenting
• Stress management

Trish is respectful, compassionate, and client-centred. She works with clients in identifying goals, exploring issues and building on skills and strategies for change. She uses strengths-based approaches and is also experienced in interactive drawing therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and in teaching a range of stress management and relaxation techniques. She is experienced in working with clients of all ages, including teenagers and younger adults.