Counselling offers a safe, confidential space to get support to explore issues you want to understand better or change. I’m trained in contemporary Narrative, solution-focused, and collaborative counselling approaches, and draw on several other specific therapies that add to this base, depending on your unique needs and what you want to address in sessions. These include IFS, memory reconsolidation techniques (eg. adapted EMDR), and various mindfulness, cognitive and mind-body awareness techniques.

Counselling is not your usual kind of conversation, but one that sheds light on your inner world, helping you understand or accept or heal parts of your self, gradually learning to trust the unique person you are and tap into that amazing human potential we all have (yes you too!) to move towards healing and wholeness.

Individuals…

People come to me about a wide range of issues, including-

• stress, anxiety, panic attacks, fears, worries
• trauma-  emotional and physical, recovery from difficult memories or events
• depression, grief, coping with loss
• relationship strife, couple challenges, communication issues
• life questions; finding meaning, purpose, spiritual depth, satisfaction
• problem behaviours, addictions, unwanted thoughts or compulsive habits, …

Everyone’s story is unique; in that light, you and I would discuss your situation, how it’s affecting you, and how you’d prefer things to be. We’d spend time identifying your values and strengths, and plan an approach to suit you and your needs and work towards your goals. Often this begins by tuning in to the various parts or yourself that need understanding, seem to be causing problems, or need help to unburden and heal. Fresh perspective and new hope start to emerge as all the various parts of ‘you’ start to make sense, including your own wise Self. And so begins a process of finding your own true sense of balance-  body, mind and spirit.  Its quite an adventure, and a goal worth pursuing.

Feel free to contact me to book a session, or find out how to begin this process.

Couples…

Relationship therapy has been a focus for me over many years, built on training and experience in Family therapy, dispute mediation work and Family Court couple counselling.  My training in several key Couple Counselling approaches (including Gottman, ACT, Imago and Narrative) means I can draw on various tools to deepen communication and heal connection where needed, and work with a wide range of issues, including couple’s struggles to understand and communicate with each other, affairs, conflict, trauma, loss of intimacy and connection. Sessions are relaxed-but-focused, constructive, respectful, and conversational, aimed at exploring what’s been happening for you both, building connection, and helping to finding ways forward in the direction you want to go.

The work together is generally practical and solution focused, often 3 way discussions aimed at developing understanding, acceptance, and responsibility, as well as patience, self-care or de-escalation skills if that’s what’s needed.  Relationships aren’t always easy!  Along with therapeutic training, I have to say I’ve learned a great deal from my own 43+ years of married-with-family life, and the courage and determination of hundreds of clients I’ve had the privilege of working with.

Feel free to give me a call or send an email if there’s more you’d like to ask before booking a session.

A bit about me…

I’m originally from Whakatane, of English, Scottish and Maori descent (Waikato Tainui), but have lived and raised family in Auckland’s amazing Waitakere Ranges for many years. Way back I trained and worked as a glass artist, also a Naturopath, dabbled in music teaching and event management, and absorbed myself for years into the raising of our four children.

By mid-life I was ready to get serious with a degree in Counselling and Social work, then tackled post-grad study in Family and Couple therapy (also Supervision). The focus was Narrative, strengths based and solution focused approaches, and it was those respectful, values-honouring approaches to  problems and human nature that started a great journey of personal/ professional development for me, leading to the rewarding work I do now.

Early on I spent 8 years with Family Works as counsellor, family therapist and parenting educator, specialising into Family Court counselling and couple mediation, then as co-ordinator for the West Auckland stopping-violence network (WAVES). Also West,  I taught 7yrs part-time at Unitec and briefly at Laidlaw in their  tertiary counselling programmes. Later, a move to private practice allowed me to deepen my focus into couples work, and also trauma recovery; both areas still keep me interested and busy. I’m  humbled again and again by the privilege of meeting and working with people, who constantly teach me about life and being human, and about being myself.

I’m a longtime (20yrs) member of the NZ Association of Counsellors (NZAC), which means I have ongoing training and regular supervision of my Counselling and Supervision work as required under the NZAC Code of Ethics.

Contact me to ask a question or book a time; I’ll get back to you asap, usually within 24hrs. (NB. if its urgent please link here to see a list of the available crisis and social service helplines in your area.)

• Email: dtollestrup@gmail.com   
• Phone: 021 2323 863
• Availability: by appt. 10am- 6pm, Tuesday- Friday
• Location:  Online sessions or at Letham Cottage, 35 Jervois Rd, Ponsonby, Auckland
• NZAC Full member.  DipSW. BSocP(Couns). PGDip Couns/Supv. ACC and Family Court registered.
• Fees: Individuals: 1 hr $140 (+GST) Couples: $200/1.5hrs (+GST) If finances are tight let’s discuss options; feel free to ask me about ACC, WINZ, or other possible subsidies.
• Payment –  invoices are emailed after sessions, for payment online.
• Cancellation (or reschedule): 48hrs notice is requested so spaces can be used by others waiting, and to avoid a late cancellation fee.