FAQS
General Questions
Canadian by birth, I’ve lived half my life there, and half in New Zealand. My initial training was in psychology (with strong neurobiology and cognitive-behavioural therapies emphases). I then added neurolinguistic programming (NLP), counselling, psychotherapy, meditation and a basket of other skills. I love working with curious, gifted, creative and/or otherwise unusual people, and am actively involved in research with gifted adults. I train and supervise clinicians around the world. And I also have been lecturing and conducting research.
I work online and face-to-face. My home base is in Auckland, NZ where I work from Eden Therapy (Mt. Eden). I work extensively online with people all over the world. And I travel widely to present workshops and train other health professionals.
My aim is to keep things affordable. My fee is $185 per 1:1 session. When possible, I am able to discuss a sliding scale to meet particular needs.
Right now you don’t. But you might be sensing that we’re a good fit. I suggest that you get in touch and we’ll discover the ‘fit’ from there. Questions are welcome!
Services & Experience
The different terms can be confusing. I’ve had extensive training in all, and here is how I think about my work:
Therapy is deep work – looking at longstanding and perhaps unconscious habits, ways of being in the world that may have been useful but aren’t serving you well anymore. The work is to bring it to awareness.
Counselling is more about what’s happening right now – negotiating life’s tricky bits.
When I Coach, my aims are to inspire, motivate, clarify and support. And often there is room for all three.
I work with adults of any age. Occasionally I work with teens, usually where there is family involvement.
My areas of speciality include gifted adults, ADHD, trauma, executive functions, and affect (emotions ad body) regulation.
My training and presentations are ideal for families, business groups, and health professionals.
Sure. Most people seek me out when a problem or issue arises. My work addresses things like anxiety, depression, relational difficulties, executive function issues, ADHD and trauma, including Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (C-PTSD).
However, that’s not the entire picture.
Some of the people I work with come because they see opportunities to craft a life that works better for them, and they want support along THAT journey. And often, the work with ‘problems’ becomes the start of a new and more meaningful life.
In a nutshell, I always focus on positive growth, and the work is always a process of discovery.
My early training and passion were in areas of neuroscience, and I’ve built my psychotherapy training and practise on top of that knowledge. So it comes as no surprise that I love working with curious, intense, creative, complex and/or otherwise unusual people. I am actively involved in research with gifted adults. It’s one of my areas of expertise. That work often overlaps with other exceptionalities such as ADHD (diagnosed or not!), dyslexia and the like.
I also work a lot with trauma including complex, cumulative and relational trauma – often referred to as C-PTSD.
My strong background in neurobiology means that I naturally include what I know about the body and our nervous systems in my work. That knowledge is important when we work together with anxiety, depression and ‘burnout’.
Yes.
To name a few: grief, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress, domestic violence, serious disability, chronic illness, sexual abuse, depression, executive function issues and ADHD. I also work with families and partners. If in doubt, please ask. I’m honest.
‘Giftedness’
The word is tricky. What I mean is someone who is a bit quirky – sensitive, complex, likely a deep thinker, with emotional highs and lows (and everything in between). It’s more than brain-smart…
There is a long history of gifted education, and the word comes from that. My research and experience show that being ‘gifted’ is rarely felt as a gift to those who live it. To be honest, I’d love to not use the word, but kids are being given that label, and so far I feel it’s important to have some continuity in how they understand themselves. Maybe soon we can come up with ways to understand the uniqueness without the ‘cringe’ factor!?
Anyway, however we deal with a messy construct, gifted kids grow up. I work with those adults.
CONTACT
I offer to you an open mind and heart.
I have aimed to keep things simple and if you feel ready to get in touch please do not hesitate to do so. Questions are welcome. I am open and honest.
