Jon Hay

Jon Hay
MHSc Psychotherapy
(1st Class Hons);
Grad Dip Psych; BCouns;
MNZAC;
Registered Psychotherapist

Originally from the UK, I first visited New Zealand when I was 19 on my OE. I spent several years travelling and living in different countries but New Zealand always stood out as my favourite place. When I eventually settled back in the UK I trained in I.T. and began working in the corporate world of London. Initially I enjoyed the environment but after a few years the novelty of commuting into London every day began to wear thin and I thought about going overseas again. One morning during a particularly claustrophobic train ride to work I made my decision to return to New Zealand and I arrived back in Auckland in October 1999. I quickly settled into my new home and learned to paraglide, took up rock climbing and bought a motorbike. These days I have a young family so my recreation time is spent doing slightly safer and less time consuming activities but my children love the outdoors so we get plenty of time out-and-about.

Whilst my early life in the corporate world had served me well I never really felt I belonged there. Not long after arriving in New Zealand I trained as a crisis counsellor and began doing volunteer work for a youth helpline. I enjoyed the work and soon decided to make it my career so I resigned from my I.T. job and began studying. I completed a Bachelor of Counselling at WelTec and then went on to study at AUT in the psychotherapy program where I graduated with a Masters in Health Science specialising in adult psychotherapy.

My experience in counselling and psychotherapy has been broad and varied and amongst other things has included anger management, work with addictions, and crisis counselling. I have facilitated groups and worked with individuals, couples, and families. I now work solely in private practice and divide my time between individual counselling and psychotherapy for men and women, and relationship and marriage counselling for couples.

I have a keen interest in how individual and couple therapy can overlap and the clinical benefits that can be gained from this. Individual therapy and couple therapy are often viewed at distinctly separate treatment methods but all couple therapy affects individuals and all individual therapy will inevitably impact on the partner. Bridging the gap between these dichotomies is an area that I am particularly passionate about.

I am a registered psychotherapist (PBANZ) and a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC).