Counselling for teenagers and young people

Therapy for thoughtful, emotionally intense young people who feel different, misunderstood or out of place - including those who are neurodivergent or exploring their identity.

Many of the young people I work with feel different from the people around them.

They often think deeply about things and experience emotions very intensely. On the outside they may seem argumentative, withdrawn, or difficult, but underneath there is usually a young person who is trying hard to make sense of themselves and their experiences.

Some have grown up in environments where they didn’t feel fully safe or understood. Others find that systems like school simply don’t fit how their minds and bodies work. Many of the young people I see are neurodivergent, rainbow or exploring aspects of their identity.

Because of these experiences, they may have begun to believe that something is wrong with them.

You might recognise some of this...

You might feel like you experience the world more intensely than the people around you.

Perhaps you think deeply about things - about people’s motivations, relationships and why things happen the way they do - but still sometimes struggle to understand your own reactions.

You may have been told that you are too sensitive, too much, argumentative or difficult, even though you’re often trying your best to cope with things that feel overwhelming.

You might feel different from your peers, or like you don’t quite fit in at school, in your family or in the place where you live.

You might also notice that:

certain environments (like classrooms, noise or busy spaces) can feel overwhelming
you often replay conversations or situations in your mind afterwards
you sometimes react strongly and later wonder “why did I respond like that?”
you feel misunderstood by the people around you
you’re trying to make sense of past experiences that still affect you now
you’re exploring aspects of your identity, including neurodivergence or sexuality
part of you worries that something is “wrong” with you

If this is sounding familiar then therapy with me can offer a space to explore these experiences with curiosity rather than judgment.

Many of the young people I work with arrive feeling unsure about therapy.

Some have had experiences of not being understood by adults before. Others worry that they will be judged, blamed or told what they should be doing differently.

My approach is calm, curious and collaborative.

I want to get to know you and I listen a lot. I ask questions about you so I can get a good understanding of what life is like for you at the moment. I might also ask about key things that have happened in your past.

You won’t be expected to share everything immediately and you don't have to answer any questions that you don't want to. We move at a pace that feels safe, allowing trust to build over time.

In our work together, we explore how past experiences have shaped the ways you respond to situations now. We might talk about how the body reacts when it has learned that the world isn’t always safe. We think about how this can affect things like sleep, emotions, relationships and feeling overwhelmed.

I help people notice when they are becoming triggered or overloaded and develop ways to calm and support themselves in those moments.

Many of the young people I see are thoughtful and reflective, and therapy becomes a space where they can explore their experiences more deeply and begin to understand themselves more clearly.

I aim to create a space where all aspects of who you are are welcome - including things like neurodivergence, gender identity and sexuality. A place where you don’t have to hide or explain away parts of yourself in order to be accepted.

Over time, many people begin to move from feeling like “something is wrong with me” toward a more compassionate understanding of themselves and their experiences.

If you are here then my guess is that you have some hope - even if it’s just a tiny bit - that you might be able to find a way to feel calmer inside and perhaps enjoy life again. You have already taken a big step by looking for some help with this.

Take a look at some of the Frequently Asked Questions about counselling with me below. If you think I might be able to help you, please message me. I’ll be really pleased to hear from you.

FAQs about Counselling with me

What is Counselling?

Counselling aims to help you clarify difficult feelings and situations, get to know and accept yourself better, think about the choices you have and consider any changes you might want to make in your life. People come to counselling for a vast range of reasons. Sometimes something specific has happened that remains unresolved. Sometimes it might be because things have been building up for a while and maybe they’ve reached a point where something has to change. Sometimes people are not sure exactly what the problem is but fundamentally they know that something “is not quite right” in life. All of these reasons are valid. When you seek counselling with me, I will take you seriously no matter what your reason for coming is. I will listen to you without judgement or blame. I won’t laugh at you and I won’t ask you to justify why you’re feeling the way you do. I will encourage you to talk about your reasons for coming as honestly as you can.

Who do you work with?

I offer counselling to people aged 13 and over. I am based in New Plymouth (Aotearoa New Zealand) and I work both in person and online with people local to this area, as well as remotely with people from all over Aotearoa New Zealand, the United Kingdom and many other countries too. If you are based outside Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom and you think I can help you then please message me to see if we can work together (with due regard for the relevant law in our respective countries).

What sort of counselling do you offer?

I start by really listening to what you’re saying and noticing patterns or themes in what’s coming up. Often, just having the space to talk things through and feel understood can bring a real sense of relief - and sometimes that alone can make a difference. You might also be curious about why you think or feel the way you do. Together, we can explore how your thoughts, feelings and experiences connect, including how past experiences and relationships may be shaping things for you now. This can help you understand yourself in a clearer, kinder way. My role isn’t to give you advice or tell you what to do. Instead, I help you make sense of your world - what’s going well, what isn’t and what your choices are. Where it’s helpful, I can also share or help you find useful information (for example, how social media works and why it can affect how you feel). If you’d like to make changes in your life - whether that’s how you see yourself, how you handle relationships or how you cope day to day - we can think these through together, so they feel realistic and last beyond our sessions. I’m interested in all parts of your life that feel important to you, including what’s happening online as well as offline. My approach is integrative, which means I draw on different ideas and ways of working depending on what feels most helpful for you. Sometimes we’ll sit and talk, and other times we might use creative approaches - like drawing, writing, looking at prompt cards or using a sandtray - if that feels useful. I’m also guided by ideas and research about how trauma can affect people as they grow up, the connection between nature and feeling well, and the importance of making counselling fair and respectful for everyone. In Aotearoa New Zealand, this includes understanding the impact of colonisation and how this still affects people and whānau across generations. These ideas shape how I work and the kind of counselling space I try to create with you.

Are you accepting of difference?

I work with lots of people who feel different to the majority group. That might be because they come from somewhere else, they are neurodivergent or they don’t identify as cisgender heteronormative. I aim to honour the identity (or identities) of everyone I meet as I find them. I will try to work with you in a way which helps you get what you are looking for out of counselling. I will not try to change who you are to fit in with someone else’s idea of what someone’s life is meant to look like. You might like to check out my About page as well to get some more information on this.

Do I need a diagnosis to see you for counselling?

No, you don't need to have a diagnosis or behave in any particular ways to have counselling with me. I do not offer psychological assessments for diagnoses (although I may be able to signpost you towards other professionals who do if this is something you're looking for). If you have got a diagnosis of something (like a mental health condition or a neurodiversity diagnosis) then I will be interested to talk with you about this if you want to; to explore what it means for you and how you find that your life is shaped or affected by it.

Are counselling sessions confidential?

All counselling sessions are confidential. You can check out my confidentiality policy for full details of exactly what this means - you can find it under Terms of Use (there's a link right at the bottom of this page). In brief, confidentiality means that I don't talk to a young person's friends, whānau, school or anyone else about what they've told me. The only exception to this is if I've been told something that I legally have to report, or if I believe there is a serious risk to someone's immediate safety. I am happy to discuss this in more detail if you want to be really clear on whether a particular topic can be kept confidential. I cannot 100% guarantee that your online communication with me will be private. (This is impossible for any individual or organisation to do.) However, I do as much as I can to protect your data both on and offline and I strongly suggest that you do the same. I carefully select the third party software which I use to communicate and conduct counselling sessions with you, and I reserve the right to change the platforms we use if their privacy settings change making them unsuitable for delivering therapeutic work. I can offer you advice on how to protect your confidentiality when engaging in online counselling. I recommend using strong passwords for all accounts you use to connect with me, and changing them regularly. I recommend only sending me information about yourself by encrypted means (not doing so is the electronic equivalent of sending me a postcard written in pencil). All emails I send to you are in encrypted format.

What's the first step?

You, or a whānau member (like a parent), can get in touch to arrange a free call of up to 20 minutes. This is a chance for us to chat about what’s been going on lately and whether my way of working feels like a good fit for you. I’m happy to talk with you directly, or with someone who’s helping you set counselling up. If we decide to go ahead, I’ll email a Counselling Agreement and a short assessment form, and we’ll book in a one-off assessment appointment. This session lasts up to 50 minutes and is charged for. It’s a space for you to talk a bit more about what’s been going on and what you’d like to get out of counselling, as well as a chance to see if I feel like the right counsellor for you. You’re welcome to come on your own or bring a whānau member - whatever feels most comfortable. We can meet in person or online via Zoom. I can also offer a free follow-up phone call with a whānau member, if that feels helpful, to talk through things like confidentiality, fees and the practical side of coming to sessions. If we decide to keep working together, I’ll send a Counselling Agreement for you and a Terms & Conditions document for your whānau member to read and sign electronically. These reflect the Terms of Use and Privacy pages on this website. Once everything is completed, we’ll arrange ongoing sessions at times that work for you - usually weekly or fortnightly.

When are sessions available?

At the moment I offer sessions between 8am - 2pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (New Zealand Standard Time). Counselling sessions are usually offered on either a weekly or fortnightly basis.

Where are you based?

I meet people for in-person counselling sessions at the Paper Plane Counselling therapy room in central New Plymouth. The address is Third Floor, Brougham House, 50 Devon Street West, New Plymouth. The waiting area is very small so if you're being dropped off for a session, whānau can wait at Puke Ariki library round the corner or browse the shops and cafes nearby. I also meet people for online counselling sessions, usually by video call using the Zoom platform. You can choose whether to meet in-person or online for each session depending on what is more convenient for you.

How many sessions will I need?

Some people come to counselling for a handful of sessions and some come for much longer - sometimes years. A lot depends on what you want to get out of your counselling sessions, and how long-standing and complex the situations are which you want to think through. At your initial assessment we will discuss roughly how many sessions you might need and use this as a starting point. Together we regularly review how the counselling is going and might agree to either shorten or lengthen our work. This is very much a joint process and I will not pressure you into attending sessions for longer than you need nor will I encourage you to leave before you feel ready.

What are your fees?

A 50 minute session is $160 (NZD) + GST. If you are based outside Aotearoa New Zealand, there is no GST to pay so the fee is $160 (NZD) only. I will invoice you in New Zealand dollars and ask you to pay through the Wise platform.

Do you tell my doctor or school that I am having counselling sessions?

No, I won’t tell your doctor or your school that you are having counselling sessions with me and the records that I keep are not linked to any other databases. It is not usually recommended for someone to see more than one counsellor at the same time so please let me know if you are already having counselling sessions elsewhere (or are on a waiting list) and we can discuss what support I can offer you.

Are you available in an emergency?

It is sometimes possible to set up an emergency counselling session at short notice but it will depend on my availability. If you are in crisis and need support with your mental health right now then you can find details of some organisations which you can contact on the Urgent Help webpage.