Counselling is a confidential and ethically protected relationship with a trained and qualified counsellor who will take your personal concerns seriously.

There are different counselling styles or approaches. I tend to be more non-directive and will mainly listen or strive to understand your deepest feelings. When appropriate, I am more active and perhaps directive and may make suggestions or ask you to try certain activities.

Knowing which direction to take (for example, exactly what to talk about in each session) depends largely on you, on your intuition and what is most important, current or vital, but I may also prompt you or make suggestions. Don’t just wait for me to initiate things; and don’t treat your sessions as ‘just a chat’.

Counselling aims to help you understand yourself better and improve the parts of your life that have become stuck or painful. But it isn’t always smooth, predictable and painless; it will require patience and commitment on your part, as well as skill and knowledge on the part of the counsellor.

Counselling is a disciplined, ethical and professional activity that is different from medicine, law, and accountancy. This is because it focuses on each individual and their unique cluster of concerns, it includes emotions, and it sometimes works via feelings that are stirred up between you and your counsellor.

Counsellors are closely supervised. I am ready to hear your views and experiences about the process of counselling and you have avenues for making complaints (via N.Z.A.C.) if you are not satisfied.