Room to Reflect Counselling
My background
My goals when working with clients
My background
Kia ora, I’m Jane
Originally born in the UK, I moved to New Zealand in 2003 with my family in search of a slower, more family-focused life. North Canterbury has been the perfect place to put down roots — with beaches, rivers, forests, and mountains close by, I’m never far from nature and spaces that help me recharge and find calm.
I am married with two wonderful adult sons who continue to fill my heart with pride. Our home is also shared with our much-loved German Shepherd, Kobe. He’s a gentle soul who enjoys being part of my work — and can join sessions on request for those who find comfort in having a friendly dog nearby.
Counselling is not just my profession — it truly feels like my calling. I have been counselling for several years and feel privileged every day to walk alongside children, young people, and families as they navigate life’s challenges. Before becoming a counsellor, I spent many years as an Early Childhood teacher. My passion for supporting tamariki and rangatahi has always been at the centre of my work, and I pride myself on being able to connect with young people in ways that feel safe, playful, and genuine.
I believe joy, warmth, and authenticity are powerful tools in therapy. Whether it’s sitting quietly alongside someone or bursting into song and dance to make a child giggle, I’m not afraid to lean into what makes connection meaningful. At heart, I’m still a big kid — unashamed to be silly when it helps others feel seen, supported, and at ease.
Family is everything to me. Watching my sons grow into kind, capable adults has been one of my greatest privileges, and they continue to inspire my work and fill my bucket every day.
My Philosophy
My goals when working with clients
My background
My Counselling Philosophy
I am, at my core, a people person. I deeply value connection, and I genuinely love encouraging others to become the very best version of themselves. For me, counselling is a collaborative journey — one where we walk alongside each other as you discover your strengths, explore your interests, and most importantly, learn to embrace your authentic self with confidence and compassion.
I believe every person is doing the best they can with the tools, experiences, and circumstances they have in that moment. A key part of my approach is supporting you to build a strong sense of autonomy, trust in your own voice, and pride in who you are becoming.
I want to hear your story — your struggles, your hopes, your dreams, and the small moments in between that shape who you are. Through listening deeply and without judgement, I gain insight into your world and the direction you hope to move in. From there, we work hand-in-hand toward your goals, celebrating progress and gently navigating challenges along the way.
No two people are the same, and neither is their healing journey. I tailor each session to your needs, strengths, preferences, and natural ways of expressing yourself. Together, we will find a therapeutic style that feels safe, comfortable, and empowering for you.
My hope is that you look forward to your sessions — that you feel supported, understood, and even able to enjoy moments of lightness, playfulness, and laughter throughout the process. Healing doesn’t have to be heavy every step of the way. In our work, you will build resilience, gain confidence, and notice positive shifts within yourself as you move forward from past hurts and navigate current stresses.
Above all, I believe in you — in your capacity to grow, to heal, and to thrive as the truest version
of yourself.
My goals when working with clients
My goals when working with clients
My goals when working with clients
My Goals in Our Work Together
I am committed to walking alongside you every step of the way. My goal is to support you to grow through challenges, gently heal from emotional hurts, and move confidently toward a life that feels meaningful, balanced, and aligned with who you truly are.
In our sessions, my intention is to create a safe, encouraging, and empowering space where you feel heard, valued, and supported to make choices that honour your wellbeing.
A session with me is designed to help you:
Facilitate positive behavioural change
Supporting you to explore patterns, develop new skills, and build healthier ways of responding to life’s challenges.
Strengthen your ability to cope and thrive
Building emotional resilience, self-awareness, and practical strategies to support daily life, stress, and emotional regulation.
Enhance your relationships
Helping you understand yourself and others more deeply so you can form and maintain meaningful and secure connections.
Encourage confident decision-making
Empowering you to trust your instincts, recognise your strengths, and make choices that reflect your values and goals.
Reconnect with your authentic self
Supporting you to uncover your true voice, honour your uniqueness, and step forward with clarity and self-belief.
Specialised Support for Children & Young People
Alongside my work with adults, I am passionate about supporting children and young people. Their worlds are rich, imaginative, and expressive — and therapy should meet them there.
With tamariki and rangatahi, I take a child-led, play-based approach, grounded in curiosity, warmth, and safety. Play is their natural language, and through creative expression — such as storytelling, art, movement, sensory play, and imaginative activities — children can explore emotions, build confidence, and make sense of their world in a way that feels safe and natural.
My goals in this work include:
Creating a nurturing space where a child feels seen, understood, and accepted
Supporting emotional regulation and resilience
Strengthening self-esteem and identity
Enhancing communication and social skills
Helping children process difficult experiences gently and safely
Working alongside family/whānau to ensure children feel supported both in and out of sessions
I follow the child’s lead, honour their voice, and work at their pace — blending therapeutic techniques with creativity, playfulness, and genuine connection to make counselling an engaging and positive experience.
Whether you are an adult looking to deepen your self-understanding, or a young person navigating big feelings and new experiences, my hope is that each session leaves you feeling supported, empowered, and more connected to the strengths already within you.
What to expect in a session...
Creative Counselling
Creative & Expressive Therapy
Creative therapy invites clients to explore thoughts and emotions through playful, expressive, and imaginative methods. Sometimes words aren’t enough — or they don’t feel accessible yet — and creative expression offers a gentle, empowering way to communicate what’s going on inside.
In my practice, creative therapy may include:
Drawing, painting, and art-making
Music, rhythm, and sound exploration
Movement, dance, and body-based expression
Storytelling, puppetry, and imaginative play
Sand trays, sensory play, and creative materials
Crafts, symbols, and visual expression
These approaches allow feelings, memories, and experiences to surface safely and naturally, without pressure to “find the right words.” Creative therapy supports clients to:
Process emotions in a non-threatening way
Build confidence, self-expression, and self-awareness
Develop emotional regulation and coping skills
Connect with imagination, curiosity, and playfulness
Explore identity, strengths, and personal meaning
Experience joy, creativity, and therapeutic fun
Creative work can be especially powerful for children and young people, who often express themselves most naturally through play and imagination — but adults also benefit deeply from reconnecting with creativity as a pathway to healing and self-discovery.
In my sessions, creative therapy is always choice-based and client-led. There is no right or wrong way to create, and you do not need any artistic ability — just a willingness to explore and express in whatever way feels right for you.
Play Therapy
Play Therapy
Play is a child’s natural language and the tools they use to understand the world. In play therapy, children are invited to explore toys, stories, art, and imaginative activities in a way that feels safe, comfortable, and right for them.
Rather than asking children to talk about difficult feelings directly, play therapy allows emotions, worries, experiences, and strengths to emerge naturally through play. This gives children the freedom to express themselves in ways that feel intuitive and empowering.
During play, I gently support children to:
Explore and express feelings
Build emotional understanding and resilience
Develop coping and problem-solving skills
Process stressful or traumatic experiences at their own pace
Strengthen confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of safety
Try out new behaviours and ways of relating to others
Play therapy is child-led — the child chooses the activity and guides the direction of the session. My role is to follow their lead, offer emotional support, and help them make sense of their internal world through connection, curiosity, and compassion.
Through play, children learn, heal, and grow — often without even realising they are doing therapeutic work. Most importantly, play therapy helps children feel seen, heard, valued, and understood in a way that honours their unique voice and developmental stage.
CBT
CBT
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a practical, structured approach that helps you understand the connection between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. We work together to explore the challenges you’re facing, notice the patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and develop new, healthier ways of thinking and responding.
In CBT sessions, you will be supported to:
Talk about the issues you’re struggling with in a safe, non-judgmental space
Identify thoughts and beliefs that may be influencing how you feel and behave
Understand how your mind and body respond to stress, worry, and strong emotions
Develop practical tools, strategies, and new perspectives to use in everyday life
Build confidence in managing challenges and making positive changes
CBT empowers you to notice what’s happening inside you and gives you skills to respond rather than react. Over time, this can help reduce stress, anxiety, low mood, and unhelpful patterns — and support you to move toward the life and mindset you want.
DBT
CBT
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) focuses on helping you understand your emotions, reactions, and behaviours so you can respond in healthier and more effective ways. It is especially helpful when feelings feel big, overwhelming, or difficult to manage.
In DBT sessions, you are supported to:
Notice how you behave and react in certain situations
Explore what is helping you cope and what might be holding you back
Build skills to manage emotions, reduce stress, and stay grounded
Strengthen your ability to communicate clearly and handle relationships effectively
Learn new techniques to navigate challenges with more calm, choice, and control
DBT blends acceptance and change — meaning we work on acknowledging where you are right now, while also finding ways to move toward the life you want. Over time, DBT helps you respond to challenges with clarity, confidence, and compassion for yourself.
Person Centred Therapy
Person-Centred Therapy
Person-Centred Therapy is at the heart of everything I do. This approach is grounded in the belief that you are the expert in your own life, and that real growth happens when you feel genuinely heard, respected, and supported.
In our sessions, I offer a warm, safe, and welcoming space where you can talk openly and freely, without judgement or pressure. My role is not to tell you who to be or what to do — instead, I walk alongside you, offering empathy, understanding, and gentle guidance as you explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Through this approach, you are encouraged to:
Connect with your true self
Build self-trust and confidence
Understand your thoughts and emotions more deeply
Make choices that align with your values and needs
Grow at your own pace, in your own way
Person-Centred Therapy allows you to feel seen and supported as you uncover your strengths, process challenges, and step forward into a more empowered and aligned version of yourself.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is about learning to be present in the moment — gently noticing your thoughts, feelings, and body without judgement. When life becomes overwhelming or emotions feel too big, mindfulness offers a way to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with yourself.
In our sessions, I support you to explore simple, practical mindfulness techniques that help you:
Calm your mind and body
Manage stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm
Build awareness of your internal experiences
Stay grounded during challenging moments
Develop a sense of inner peace and coping strength
Mindfulness doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as focusing on your breath, noticing the world around you, or using grounding strategies to bring yourself back to the present. Together, we will find techniques that feel natural and supportive for you, so you can carry them into everyday life.
Services Available
1:1 Child counselling sessions
1:1 Adult counselling sessions
1:1 Adult counselling sessions
Counselling for Children
Counselling for children provides a gentle, safe space for them to explore their emotions, build resilience, and learn healthy ways to understand and regulate their feelings. Children often experience big emotions but may not yet have the words to explain what’s going on inside. Through therapy, they can process these feelings in a way that feels natural and supportive.
Many children come to counselling with worries related to friendships, school challenges, sibling dynamics, family changes or separation, or difficult experiences from the past. Even when they can't name their anxiety or stress, it can show up in their behaviour, emotional responses, or relationships.
To help children work through their concerns in a non-threatening and developmentally appropriate way, I draw on play therapy and creative, expressive approaches. Play and creativity are a child’s natural language — they allow children to communicate feelings, explore new ways of coping, and experience emotional relief without pressure to “talk about it” before they’re ready.
Through these approaches, children can:
Express emotions safely
Build confidence and self-esteem
Develop emotional regulation and coping skills
Strengthen social and relationship skills
Work through worry, grief, or trauma at their own pace
Feel seen, supported, and understood
My role is to follow the child’s lead, provide a warm and accepting environment, and gently help them make sense of their feelings as they grow, heal, and thrive.
1:1 Adult counselling sessions
1:1 Adult counselling sessions
1:1 Adult counselling sessions
1:1 Counselling Sessions
Having a one-to-one session gives you a safe, confidential space to talk about anything that’s on your mind. This is your time — a place where you can breathe, reflect, and explore what’s going on for you without judgement or pressure.
Together, we can:
Talk through life experiences and challenges
Unpack stressful or traumatic events safely and gently
Process grief, loss, and big emotions
Rediscover your motivation, confidence, and sense of self
Create routines and build healthy habits
Explore identity, values, and future goals
Receive support around parenting and family dynamics
Build coping skills and emotional regulation tools
And of course — you can bring anything that feels important to you.
This space is truly yours, and you get to decide what we talk about and what direction we go in. I’m here to walk alongside you, listen deeply, and support you in whatever way feels most helpful for you.
Family counselling sessions
Family counselling sessions
Family counselling sessions
Family Counselling
Family counselling can be incredibly helpful when home life feels tense, chaotic, or emotionally overwhelming. Whether you're navigating big changes, communication difficulties, behavioural challenges, or just finding it hard to get along, having a neutral and supportive space can make a world of difference.
As an outside person who is not emotionally involved, I provide a calm and safe environment where each family member can share their feelings, worries, and needs without fear of judgement. Everyone’s voice matters, and my role is to help the family listen to one another, build understanding, and strengthen connection.
Through our sessions, families can:
Improve communication and emotional understanding
Explore each person’s perspective in a respectful space
Develop shared goals and family values
Learn strategies to support each other positively
Strengthen relationships and rebuild trust
Create routines, boundaries, and tools that support harmony at home
Reduce tension and bring more peace, calm, and cooperation into family life
Together, we work toward creating a home environment where everyone feels heard, supported, and connected — replacing conflict and confusion with teamwork, empathy, and a sense of belonging.
Couples Counselling
Family counselling sessions
Family counselling sessions
Couples Counselling
Relationships go through many stages, and sometimes couples find themselves feeling disconnected, stuck in unhelpful patterns, or struggling to communicate the way they once did. When the spark begins to fade, misunderstandings build, or small issues turn into big ones, it can feel overwhelming and lonely — even when you care deeply about each other.
Couples counselling offers a safe and neutral space for both partners to be heard, understood, and supported. As an impartial facilitator, I help you explore what’s happening beneath the surface, share your feelings openly, and develop healthier ways of connecting and communicating.
In our sessions, you and your partner can:
Talk through worries, frustrations, and emotional needs
Improve communication and rebuild trust
Explore your patterns and learn new ways to respond to each other
Strengthen understanding, empathy, and emotional connection
Develop practical strategies to move forward together
Reignite closeness, respect, and shared purpose
Counselling isn’t about placing blame — it’s about working as a team to understand each other better and find ways to reconnect, repair, and grow together.
Whether you are hoping to strengthen your relationship, restore connection, or navigate challenges with more clarity and compassion, couples counselling can offer support and guidance on your journey forward.