I’m a New Zealand registered and trained health psychologist with 25 years’ experience spcecialising in supporting adults with their physical and psychological well-being, mental health, physical rehabilitation, and performance. Currently, I work fulltime in private practice and have a variety of contracts.
I’ve worked across a range of settings including corporate health programmes (supporting general wellbeing), private health clinics (such as pain management and cardiac rehabilitation), hospital departments (including physical rehabilitation, respiratory care, rheumatology, neurology, and general medicine), government services (such as the New Zealand Police and ACC), and performance-focused environments.
My work is guided by biopsychosocial, psychophysiological, and transdiagnostic frameworks. A biopsychosocial approach recognises that our experiences are influenced by a combination of physical factors (such as sleep, health, pain, and breathing), psychological factors (such as stress, emotions, thinking patterns, and habits), and social factors (such as work demands, relationships, and life circumstances). Psychophysiology recognises the close relationship between mind and body, and how each can influence the other. A transdiagnostic approach looks for common underlying factors that may be contributing to multiple issues at the same time. This way of working helps identify the factors that are likely to have the greatest overall impact, allowing us to focus on meaningful and lasting change rather than simply managing individual symptoms. In simple terms, this means looking at the bigger picture rather than focusing on individual symptoms or issues in isolation.
An analogy I often use is that of a car. If a warning light appears on the dashboard, simply covering the light doesn't fix the problem. To understand what is happening, you need to look under the bonnet and understand how the different parts of the vehicle interact. Sometimes several warning lights can be traced back to a single underlying issue. In the same way, difficulties such as fatigue, stress, anxiety, low mood, poor concentration, pain, and reduced coping may appear to be separate problems, but they can sometimes be linked to a common underlying factor.
To support clients, I draw on a range of evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), mindfulness-based approaches, and biofeedback. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, I tailor support to each person's goals, needs, and circumstances.
My goal is not simply to help people feel better in the short term, but to help them understand the factors influencing their experience, build confidence in managing challenges, and develop skills that continue to benefit them long after our work together has finished.
All of my academic training was completed through the University of Auckland and the Department of Psychological Medicine. I remain committed to ongoing professional development, regularly attending training in New Zealand and internationally, engaging in clinical supervision, and maintaining active membership with professional organisations to ensure my practice reflects current evidence, ethical standards, and best practice.