Counsellors in Canterbury

Areas of specialty

• Addictions
• Anger management
• Anxiety and depression
• Grief and loss
• Life changes/transition
• Relationships
• Trauma

In her counselling practice, Anna can offer you a safe, confidential and neutral space for individual counselling and couples counselling. She has been in private practice for over 10 years in the Mid Canterbury area.

Anna is also passionate about empowering people to make positive changes in their lives and assisting them to reach their goals.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety & depression
• Dispute resolution
• Family, couple, organisational relationships
• Trauma

Brent has 25 years’ experience as a counsellor and almost as long as a supervisor/mentor of psychologists, counsellors and counselling students.

Brent works from a pluralistic and solution-focused stance to assist clients to find ways forward to their desired outcomes.

Areas of specialty

• Adults
• Children
• Trauma
• EMDR

Eleanor has worked with children in her role as a teacher (since 1987) and psychologist (since 2005). She is experienced in facilitating parenting groups for Incredible Years. A CISM-trained crisis responder, Eleanor has wide experience in working with traumatised children and adults. 

Areas of specialty

• Acceptance and commitment therapy 
• Nervous system regulation
• Trauma-informed care

Emma is an experienced and creative registered psychologist who works with young people and adults. She provides a safe, empathic and collaborative space for psychological assessment and treatment. Clients are invited into a trusting relationship where they have a space to share their experiences without judgement, and an opportunity to develop their insight and explore tools to interact with their internal world.

Emma's therapeutic influences include synergetic play therapy and other trauma-informed modalities; acceptance and commitment, and cognitive behavioural therapies. Clinical interests include trauma and attachment, self-regulation and dissociation.

Areas of specialty

• Abuse and violence- including domestic violence and sexual abuse
• Addictions, alcohol and substance misuse
• Anger management, self-esteem and assertiveness 
• Anxiety and depression
• Burnout, stress and work-life balance
• Career uncertainty and self-development
• Eating related difficulties
• Grief and loss
• Parenting
• Physical illness and pain management

Erika is a registered nurse and therapist with over 27 years of clinical experience having worked within a range of mental health settings (hospital and community based).  

For the last 12 years she has worked within the Brief Intervention services supporting many GP practices with brief assessments and interventions.

Erika's main clinical focus uses a multi-modality approach including cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, acceptance and commitment, narrative, motivational interviewing and solution focused therapies.  

Erika works with adults 18 years and over, and can offer in-person, phone or online support.

Areas of specialty

• Addiction support
• Adults (16+)
• Anxiety and depression
• Childhood trauma including sexual abuse
• Life transition issues
• Relationship issues
• Self-esteem difficulties

Fiona is an experienced counsellor working in private practice in Rangiora, North Canterbury. Fiona enjoys working with adults of all ages and backgrounds, and generally takes a person-centered approach to counselling to help create a safe and supportive environment for change. Fiona also draws on other therapeutic modalities when required, such as solution-focused therapy, schema therapy, narrative therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectic behavioral therapy.

Areas of specialty

• Alcohol and drug
• Mental health
• Supervision
• Trauma

George is a registered addictions practitioner and clinical supervisor with DAPAANZ. He has worked with young people and adults who are survivors of trauma and supported them with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and addictions.

In therapy, George works in a person-centred way, drawing strongly on his training and experience to support people to become all that they desire to be and overcome barriers to achieving that.

Areas of specialty

• Alcohol and drug
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• Anxiety and depression
• Grief and loss
• Workplace relationships
• Stress
• Supervision

Georgina works in a solution focused, client-centred way, her approach is eclectic, with a firm clinical process base.  A registered naturopath, Georgina's counselling style has a focus on lifestyle, work-home life balance and self-care.

Georgina has provided supervision for over 25 years for a range of professionals including social workers, psychologists, addiction practitioners, mental health nurses, comprehensive nurses, counsellors, psychotherapists and naturopaths. 

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• Couples counselling
• Managing stress and anger
• Trauma
• Workplace difficulties

Ian offers a safe non-judgemental place, journeying alongside men and women who are distressed by life’s events and supporting them in their quest for wholeness and healing. Ian’s work is informed by his training in person-centred practice and emotional freedom-technique couples counselling.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• Family and relationships
• Mediating
• Parenting
• Self-esteem
• Suicide
• Supervision

Jo has vast experience in general counselling including crisis work, mediating and telephone support she has supervised volunteer counsellors at Lifeline Christchurch for a number of years, and became the clinical manager for Lifeline Canterbury.

Jo is also a Justice of the Peace.

Areas of specialty

• Couples counselling
• Grief
• Supervision
• Workplace stress

Joss' special interest is in helping clients build self-esteem and self-compassion, personal growth and fulfilment. She also assists clients to find new direction after loss of job and when entering a new stage in life and trauma work is another area she provides appropriate support.

Joss has worked as a private practitioner, and with employee assistance programmes and Victim Support for over 16 years. In her private practice, Joss works with both couples and individuals; she is trained in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and regularly attends her own supervision and relevant training.

Areas of specialty

• Alcohol and drugs
• Anxiety and depression
• Complex mental health issues
• Conflict
• Family harm/dynamics and intergenerational trauma
• Relationships

Katrina is an experienced and committed counsellor and group facilitator, who has worked in both the public and private sector. This includes extensive experience in Ara Poutama/Department of Corrections.  Katrina is focused on wellbeing, regardless of an individual’s background or circumstances.  Her aim is to support people to function at their best, offering a safe place to express themselves freely, illuminate their own thoughts and feelings, and find solutions for positive outcomes.  The therapeutic process supports an individual’s ability to develop lasting tools/strategies to overcome their issues of concern, and to experience a more meaningful and enjoyable life. She has an engaging, knowledgeable and aware facilitation style that supports the development of positive group dynamics.

Katrina is of Māori/Pakeha descent. Tainui is her whakapapa.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• Couples counselling
• Drug and alcohol related issues
• Grief and loss
• Relationships and family issues
• Sexual abuse
• Stress management
• Work-related concerns

Khan's unique expertise lies in helping clients live their preferred lives despite the obstacles and challenges they face. Guided by his training in solution-focused therapy, his sessions are directed toward what the client wants to achieve as opposed to what they want to leave behind.

Areas of specialty

• Alcohol and drug misuse
• Adversity and/or trauma
• Anxiety and depression
• Burnout
• Communication skills
• Grief and loss
• Life transitions
• Navigating life with chronic illness
• Overcoming shame and/or regret
• Work stress
• Relationship challenges
• Stress management

Liza is an experienced person-centred, strengths-based counsellor. She enjoys building a collaborative connection to focus on what is ‘right’ with a person, rather than what is perceived as ‘wrong’. Liza imparts tools and techniques from positive psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy, neuro-linguistic programming, and solution-focused therapy to empower people to find strategies to enhance their resilience and mental wellbeing.

Liza particularly enjoys working with micro and small business owners (fewer than 20 FTE employees), and those in trade or 'doing' industries such as building trades and construction, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, transport, etc.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• Relationships
• Stress management
• Substance use and addiction
• Trauma
• Young adult-based counselling support

Lou is a born and bred Wellingtonian and has now adopted South Canterbury as her home. She graduated in Auckland in 1999 and since this time has worked mainly in mental health and addiction services both in NZ and overseas. This has included both longer-term therapy and brief intervention work.  She has over 20 years’ experience working in the mental health sector.

Lou is passionate about people living a personally meaningful and valued life, and comes from a compassionate and strengths-focused approach.  She loves working with people to find new ways of dealing with challenges and moving towards the things in life that are important to them. 

Areas of specialty

• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Depression
• Emotion-focused therapy
• Family Court counsellor
• Stress and anxiety
• Registered ACC counsellor

Marion likes working with people of all ethnicities. She is interested in helping clients achieve wellbeing and satisfaction in their lives - supporting them to reach their highest aspirations.

Areas of specialty

• Abuse and trauma (including sexual abuse)
• Alcohol and other drug misuse
• Anxiety and depression
• Conflict resolution and anger management
• Couples counselling
• Family violence
• Grief and loss
• Low self-esteem and confidence issues
• Relationship issues
• Stress management

Mary is motivated by working alongside others to help them overcome challenges in a constructive, energetic and supportive way. As a clear communicator and skilled reflective listener, Mary aims to affirm and support individuals to affect changes they wish to make in their lives. She is passionate about social justice and committed to contributing to positive, reality-based change for individuals. Mary has over 27 years' experience as a social worker, brief intervention worker, probation officer, group facilitator, external supervisor, trainer and manager within both statutory organisations and NGOs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Mary is currently only available via Zoom/FaceTime or phone.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• Communication skills
• Grief and loss
• Life changes
• Relationship issues
• Self esteem and confidence
• Stress management and work/life balance
• Trauma
• Workplace issues

Michelle is passionate about supporting, encouraging and empowering people so they can focus on what is important to them and live their lives more fully. Michelle has an eclectic approach to work through difficult situations, explore options and make decisions. She is comfortable working from a cognitive perspective, and also integrates the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy for a more holistic and integrated way of working.

Areas of specialty

• Mental health and wellbeing
• Older persons health
• Personal development & coaching

Mike has extensive experience working in the health and mental health sector, both within primary care, working alongside general practitioners; in secondary care, providing specialist support for people experiencing psychosis, anxiety and depression, within SMHS; and in tertiary care, through his role as a Team Leader for social work, overseeing general medicine wards in a busy public hospital. Mike’s experience in leading teams in both the public and private sector has given him a unique perspective of the challenges faced by both employees and organisations as they try to fulfil their various responsibilities. He is aware of the impact of both toxic work environments upon employees and also the thriving culture that can be created with exceptional leadership. Mike also has extensive experience in providing professional supervision for social workers, healthcare professionals and managers.

Areas of specialty

• Anger and stress management
• Anxiety and depression
• Career counselling
• Couples counselling
• Grief and loss
• Life transitions
• Personal development
• Relationships and relationship challenges

When you are ready to talk, Natasha will be there to listen. People generally find Natasha caring, confidential and supportive. She works with individuals and couples and is located in quiet, comfortable premises in a discreet location in Timaru's CBD.

Areas of specialty

• Bereavement
• Couples counselling
• Families
• Mental illness
• Mental wellbeing
• Relationships

Working with bereavement, couples, families, relationships, young people and children, Sandra is an experienced social worker who has specialised in the field of mental health and wellbeing. 

Areas of specialty

• Cognitive restructuring
• Couples
• Mental health
• Supervision

Sharmaine understands the need for counselling in difficult times and is fully aware of different therapies and modalities. She has a way of working that allows people to feel supported and enabled. Sharmaine has worked for many years in the business and counselling fields and is also a published author.

Areas of specialty

• Anger management
• Anxiety and depression
• Family issues
• Grief and loss
• Phobia
• Trauma
• Workplace issues

An experienced counsellor since 1994, Shirley offers both long-term and short-term sessions, having had many years of experience as workplace support, facilitating both critical incident work and debriefing and professional supervision. Shirley believes each of us has our own answers within and her task is to support you to find those answers.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression 
• EMDR
• Life changes including life-limiting illness
• Relationships
• Retirement 
• Rural support - loneliness
• Spirituality
• Stress management
• Supervision   

Although Struan has been trained in and uses a number of modalities, he believes that the counsellor/client relationship is at the heart of change, healing and wellbeing for clients. Struan values acceptance, wisdom, intuition, kindness, humour, forgiveness and spirituality - and the essential ingredients of this relationship.

Struan has been a supervisor for 20 years, having attended courses by Michael Durrant, Margaret Morrell, and studied Michael Carroll's approach with interest and appreciation.

Areas of specialty

• Addictions
• Anxiety and depression
• Couples counselling
• Supervision
• Trauma

Susie has over 12 years' experience counselling individuals, couples and families in modalities suited to their needs. Susie’s specialty and passion is relationship counselling and the underlying issues that need to be dealt with to enable optimal functioning.

Areas of specialty

• Alcohol and drug counselling
• Anxiety and depression
• Family and workplace dynamics
• Grief and loss
• Relationship
• Stress
• Trauma

Tessa is an experienced counsellor who works in partnership with people to hear their stories, supporting people to acquire new strengths and skills, and to develop to their fullest potential.

Areas of specialty

• Depression and anxiety
• Drug and alcohol addictions
• Gender and sexual identification
• Grief and loss
• Relationship issues
• Sexual abuse
• Work-life balance

Ursula has been a psychotherapist in private practice for over 20 years. She works with all ages, cultural backgrounds and the issues and problems with which people present.

Areas of specialty

• Anxiety and depression
• Family violence
• Relationships
• Sexuality and sexual abuse
• Stress management
• Trauma

Zoe works in a client-led and non-judgemental way. She began counselling in 2015 has worked at family violence agencies and Massey University before starting private practice in 2021. 

Zoe works mainly with people between the ages of 17-45 and believes that no issue is too big or small to reach out for support. Zoe uses different techniques to help produce and sustain insights and desired change, including cognitive behavioural therapy, interactive drawing therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and solution-focused therapy.

Zoe is presently providing online telehealth (Zoom, phone) services only.