NZAC Registered Counsellor - Ōtautahi
The patterns that helped you survive don't have to shape your future.
Whether you're carrying the weight of trauma, living with dissociation, exploring neurodivergence, navigating identity, or feeling overwhelmed by life's transitions, you're welcome here. Together, we'll make sense of your experiences and work towards meaningful change.““Every behaviour makes sense once we understand the story behind it.””
Whether you're neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, questioning who you are, carrying the weight of trauma, navigating complex relationships, or simply feeling stuck in patterns that no longer serve you, you're welcome here.
Areas of Support
Who I Work With
Many of the people I work with have spent years feeling "too much" or "not enough." You are not alone in this.
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Trauma & PTSD
Processing the weight of experiences you were never meant to carry alone.
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Neurodivergence
Addressing the the unique challenges of navigating a world not designed for your brain.
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LGBTQIA+ Identity
Affirming, celebratory support for all identities, orientations, and expressions.
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Anxiety & Overwhelm
When your nervous system never seems to switch off, and you're exhausted from trying.
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Relationships
Patterns in connection, attachment wounds, and learning to relate differently.
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Relationships
The quality of the relationships that we have with others significantly affects our levels of life satisfaction. Whether you want to improve communication, set boundaries or make better friendships, working on yourself is an ideal place to start.
My Approach
Therapy is not about
fixing you.
It is about understanding you.
Together, we explore the protective patterns that developed to help you survive, whether that looks like anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism, avoidance, self-criticism, dissociation, or feeling disconnected from yourself.
I help people understand their nervous system, build safety and regulation, process trauma, and reconnect with the parts of themselves that have been hidden, burdened, or forgotten.
Ready to begin your
inward journey?
Reach out for a free 15-minute consultation. There is no pressure, just a conversation to see if we might be a good fit.
About Vanessa
I'd be honoured to walk alongside you.
I'm Vanessa (she/her), a trauma therapist and counsellor based in Ōtautahi, Aotearoa. I work with adolescents and adults navigating the impacts of trauma, dissociation, neurodivergence, identity, grief, emotional overwhelm, and life's many transitions.
My work is grounded in the belief that every behaviour makes sense once we understand the story behind it. I offer a warm, collaborative, and non-judgemental space where all parts of you are welcome.