Brief therapy questions · Clinical psychologist, Auckland & online

I’m a registered clinical psychologist based in Mount Eden, Auckland, with more than 30 years of experience. I’ve spent my whole working life in this field, and I still genuinely enjoy it. What motivates me is making a practical difference to people’s wellbeing. I do that by offering focused, practical plans built on what the evidence shows actually works.

I grew up in the South Island, and I still love getting into the Southern Alps whenever I can. In my late twenties I headed off on my OE. Instead of backpacking, I spent those years working in the UK’s National Health Service. There I led a service researching psychotherapy and learned Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) from some of the world’s leading experts.

Since coming home to New Zealand in 2004, I’ve worked as a senior clinician and manager in public mental health, as a clinical trainer and clinical leader, and more recently in private practice from Mount Eden, Auckland. I have a particular interest in brief, focused behaviour change. You can hear more about my work in a GP education podcast on types of psychotherapy, and read my article on leading an online mental health service.

I’m genuinely interested in people, and I take pride in being fully present with everyone I work with. I’d always encourage you to find the psychologist who fits you best, even if that turns out to be someone else.

Brief therapy is designed so that every session, including the very first one, can stand on its own. Many psychologists start with an assessment session and then move into a set course of treatment. I do things differently. I want our first meeting to be genuinely useful, not a warm-up or a long list of assessment questions.

By the end of that first session, I’ll give you my summary of what I think is going on, and we’ll check together that it fits. Once it feels right, we’ll co-create a clear, practical action plan, which I’ll then send to you in writing. My aim is that you leave every session with a clear understanding of your situation and a solid plan of action.

A good first session with any psychologist or therapist should give you four things:

• A good fit. You should feel you click with them.
• Real understanding. They should offer a way of understanding your problem that makes sense and goes deeper than what a friend or family member could give you. You don’t have to agree with everything, but you should leave feeling understood, with a fresh angle on what’s going on.
• Something useful. That doesn’t mean solving everything in one go. It means a clearer picture and a few things worth trying.
• Good service. They should be responsive, communicate well, have reasonable availability, and leave you feeling you’re getting good value.

I run a deliberately small private practice, with a limited number of clients at any one time. That means I can usually see people quickly and stay very responsive. You can reach me by email or through the contact form.

Your first session is 50 minutes. We start with a quick introduction so you know how we’ll use our time. I then use a structured approach to get a picture of your whole life, not just the problem. That covers the important people in your world, your daily routine, your sense of purpose, and your general health, including sleep, nutrition and exercise.

Next, we look at what brought you in, using recent, real-life examples of what you’re struggling with. Once I have a sense of the patterns that might be keeping you stuck, I’ll share a tentative summary of the psychological processes that may be at play. We then build your practical plan from there.

Many people see me for between one and three sessions. I aim to be genuinely useful from the very first session, and some people find that one session gives them what they need to move forward. Sometimes we pinpoint exactly what’s been keeping you stuck, and things click into place.

Others prefer to keep working together to build skills and put their action plan into practice over a few sessions. Either way, we focus on making good progress within two to three sessions.

A standard 50-minute session costs $240. Payment is usually due within 7 days by direct bank transfer. If paying in instalments over a longer period would suit you better, just ask. I’m always happy to arrange that.

Not sure yet? I’m happy to chat to see if I’m the right person for you.

I understand that things come up, and sometimes you’ll need to change or cancel an appointment. I ask for at least 24 hours’ notice of any changes. Just email me or send a message through the contact form.

If an appointment is missed, or cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, a fee may be charged unless there are exceptional circumstances. I value your time, and this approach means I can offer appointments to as many people as possible.

I specialise in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based, modern relative of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). I trained in CBT and was supervised by some of the best in the field. I lean towards ACT because it fits how I understand human distress.

Traditional CBT often treats anxiety and depression as conditions to be managed. ACT sees distress as a natural response to our circumstances: a signal that something needs to change. Together we’ll build a summary that takes in your values, your history and the events feeding into your distress. We’ll look at it from several angles: thoughts, feelings, actions, how you see yourself, and what matters to you.

Much of my work looks at two things. One is how tightly we follow the rules our mind sets for us. The other is how much energy we spend avoiding thoughts and feelings we’d rather not have. I take those core ACT ideas and shape them into an understanding and a plan built entirely around you.

Most of my sessions are online, and I see clients from across New Zealand. Online therapy works well, saves you travel time, and is usually easier to fit into your week. I can occasionally offer in-person appointments in rooms in Mount Eden Village, central Auckland.

Yes, but only for writing clinical notes. I use Zanda, a secure clinical practice management system that meets healthcare privacy standards. Its note-taking tool turns our conversation into structured clinical notes. That means I can give you my full attention during the session instead of typing on a screen.

AI doesn’t change anything about the session itself. It simply cuts down on admin, which frees up my time to write a summary for you after every session.

Yes, some Southern Cross policies cover part or all of the cost of seeing a clinical psychologist, and I’m a registered Southern Cross provider. Email me your policy number before you book, and I’ll check what you’re eligible for.

No. You can book directly with me without a referral. If you’re claiming through health insurance, check whether your policy needs a GP referral before it will contribute.

Request a chat, and I’ll call you back so we can talk about whether I’m the right person for you. You can also flick me an email. Honestly, booking the appointment and turning up is usually the hardest part. It gets much easier once we start talking.