The things people ask before they ring

Yes. What you say in the room stays in the room, with a small number of legal exceptions that apply to every counsellor in New Zealand: a serious and imminent risk to your life or someone else's, a concern about a child at risk of harm, a court order, or a specific statutory duty. I discuss my work in professional supervision, which is required practice, but without anything that identifies you. I will walk you through all of this in the first session. It is also written out on the privacy page.

That is a normal way to arrive. Plenty of people turn up able to say only that something is off. Working out what is actually going on is the job, not the entry requirement.

That is worth telling me on the first call, in detail. What did not work is genuinely useful information. Sometimes it was the wrong approach, sometimes the wrong fit, sometimes the timing. It does not mean counselling cannot work for you, but it does mean we should do something different this time.

Not unless it turns out to be relevant, and you will be the one who decides that. Some patterns have obvious roots and some do not. We follow what is actually useful rather than a script.

Individual sessions are $190 for 50 minutes. Couples sessions are $230 for 70 minutes. A comprehensive assessment is $280 for 90 minutes. The first 10 minute phone call is free. Full detail is on the fees page.

It depends on what you are bringing. Some things settle in six to eight sessions. Addiction and trauma work usually runs longer, because those patterns are older and better defended. We review it openly as we go, and I will tell you if I think you have got what you came for.

Weekly to begin with for most people. That is not a sales tactic, it is that fortnightly sessions at the start tend to be spent recapping the fortnight. Once things are steadier, moving to fortnightly or monthly is normal and expected.

More than 24 hours notice and there is no charge. Less than that and the session is charged, because the time cannot realistically be filled. Genuine emergencies are treated as such. The detail is on the cancellation policy page.

Yes, anywhere in New Zealand, at the same fee as an in person session. For most people and most issues it works just as well. More on the online counselling page.

Sometimes. Some employers run an Employee Assistance Programme that funds a set number of sessions, and some health insurance policies include counselling. Both are worth asking about directly. Counselling is not covered by a standard GP subsidy.

Yes, and this is more common than people expect. A relationship is a pattern between two people, and one person changing their part of it changes the pattern. It is not as fast as both of you being in the room, but it is not nothing.

No, but I will be direct with both of you, which sometimes feels like taking sides in the moment. If one of you is doing something that is clearly damaging the relationship, I will say so. I will also say it to the other one when it is their turn, and it usually is.

I work with teenagers and with families. I do not offer therapy for young children. If that is what you need, I can point you toward services that specialise in it.

No. If people could reliably stop before getting help, very few would need it. Come as you are. Where there is a physical dependence, particularly on alcohol or benzodiazepines, stopping suddenly without medical supervision can be dangerous, and we will talk about doing that safely with a doctor involved.

No. You almost certainly know more about the costs of your behaviour than I do, and being told about them again has never helped anyone. The work is on what the behaviour is doing for you, and what would have to be true for you not to need it.

Then we look at it, closely and without drama. Relapse is information about where the plan was thin. It is not a reason to stop coming, and it is not something I will be shocked by.