Who am I?

I love to connect with people and keep people connected with each other and the world. I am fascinated by so many things but what really makes me happy is connection … and kindness … it’s vital to be kind!

Personally, I’m always curious, always wanting to know more about the world and the people in it. I read a lot, I study all the time, does that make me a nerd? Probably. All I can say is that as Albert Einstein said, “The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.”

I’m a first-generation New Zealander, my family came most recently from England but researching and learning about my family background finds strong connections to Ireland. Although originally from Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), l now live in Ōtautahi (Christchurch). I am very proud to be a New Zealander and grateful to live in this beautiful country.

I believe we all need to live together with respect and dignity and I strongly support the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, to respect and treat the Tangata Whenua of New Zealand as the first people is vital for the our society to grow and thrive.

Professionally I now work and live as a Counsellor, and have worked with community organisations for several year. I now have a private practice (www.kopakopacounselling.nz). I have worked for many years as a Registered Nurse mostly in community settings and I am a trained Early Childhood teacher. All these experiences have been rich learning experiences that have taught me to believe in people and their amazing capacity to rich their full potential.

From working with people for over 30 years one of the most important lessons I have learnt is that life is unpredictable, and change is inevitable. We all need to find a way to live with unexpected happenings and the implications they have for us, so that we can live our lives in the best way possible. I am passionate about supporting people through the challenges that life throws at us.

I believe that:

• every person has so much to offer the world
• a person’s worth can only be measured by recognizing each person’s strengths
• we all make mistakes, but that’s how we learn and grow … poor choices do not make a person bad …

This means: I believe in people and I believe that we are all responsible for supporting, without reservation each person to reach their maximum potential! This means that NO ONE is a problem … we all have obstacles in our lives that can become problems to overcome … these do not define us!

As a counsellor I offer unconditional acceptance to every client and I will walk alongside you to help you find the right path for your life and help you to draw on all your strengths and positive attributes to be the best person you can be.

Qualifications

• M Couns, NZRN, MN,
• Accredited Five Step Method practitioner,
• Member, NZAC