What if I am in a crisis and need help?
If you feel that you need immediate psychological support, because for example you are feeling like you might want to hurt yourself or others, call 111 or your local psychiatric crisis team.
https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/in-crisis/
https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/in-crisis/helplines/
http://mherc.org.nz/directory/all-listings-alphabetical/psychiatric-emergency-service
What kind of problems do you treat?
See Services.
What can I expect when I call you or see you for the first time?
When you call to enquire about seeing me I will have a quick chat on the phone about what you are looking for. We can then set up an appointment to meet for an assessment. If you feel uncomfortable calling me you can book an appointment online.
When you come and see me for the first time we will do an assessment session to help me understand what is going on for you – this means we will talk about why you have come along and what might have led you to your current problems. Then we can discuss how many sessions you might need and what type of approach we might take.
How many sessions will I need?
The number of sessions you will need will differ according to your problems you bring to therapy and your own individual needs. Some people only need a few sessions whereas others may require more longer-term work.
Can I get any help to pay for the sessions?
You can get a disability allowance from WINZ to help pay for sessions if you meet their criteria. For details regarding this visit https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/health-and-disability/counselling.html#null
Are my sessions confidential?
Yes, within limits our sessions are confidential. There are some exceptions to this rule however. If there is reason to believe that you might be at risk to yourself or to/from others I may need to break confidentiality. I will always endeavour to discuss this with you first.
How do I pay you?
You can pay me via internet transfer or with cash. You can pay before or just after your session or can pay in blocks in advance. If you would like I can invoice you and will provide you with receipts.
What is “therapy” and what type of therapies do you use?
Therapy, or “talking therapy” as some people call it, is a psychological treatment intended to relieve or heal some type of psychological problem. While in reality therapy can look different for different people, it typically involves a therapist and an individual sitting down and talking about their problems and how to manage them.
I use the following therapies:
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) – CBT is a type of therapy that focuses on an individual’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours that are contributing to their problems. It is present-focused and looks at modifying dysfunctional thinking and behaviour. It is time-limited and structured.
https://www.beckinstitute.org/get-informed/what-is-cognitive-therapy/
Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) – CAT is typically a discrete time-limited piece of work lasting from 4-24 sessions and is focused on what the person brings to therapy rather than psychological disorders. It is a collaborative approach for looking at how a person relates to others and themselves. It also looks at how someone thinks, feels and acts and the events and patterns of relating that underlie these experiences, often from their early experiences.
http://www.acat.me.uk/page/home
Meta-Cognitive Therapy (MCT) – MCT aims to identify a person’s beliefs about their own thoughts and how their mind works. It then aims to show the person how these beliefs lead to unhelpful responses (e.g. thoughts, feelings, behaviours) which then unintentionally prolong or even worsen their difficulties. MCT provides new ways to respond in order to lessen the person’s psychological problems.
http://www.mct-institute.com/metacognitive-therapy
Mindfulness – Mindfulness is a new and popular approach to not just psychological problems but to life in general. It is about learning to be present from moment to moment in a non-judgemental way and can help people with difficult emotions, thoughts and physical symptoms. It has been adapted for therapy in a number of different ways and for a number of different problems and research suggests when we are more mindful we are less stressed and depressed and more aware of ourselves.
What are some helpful websites I can look at to help me understand mental health?
https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/
How does Covid19 affect your services?
The New Zealand government has developed a 4 level alert system to manage covid19. Please see covid19.govt.nz for the most up to date information. When New Zealand is at level 4 I am unable to offer face to face sessions, however can offer sessions online via zoom, an encrypted online meeting room. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.