The best way to make an appointment is by filling in the form on the contact us page. Your details will be sent securely to us and we will get back to you shortly and arrange an appointment time that suits. If you prefer you can phone or email either of us directly – our direct contact details are also on the contact us page just below the form.

No. You can book an appointment directly with us and no referral is necessary.

We are open Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm.

We do not offer evening or weekend appointments.

Please visit the Costs page for up-to-date pricing.

We do not provide EAP services. If you speak to your employer or HR department they should be able to provide you with their list of approved clinicians.

All your details are treated as confidential and our website uses up-to-date security to protect all your information. When you fill in our contact form your information is securely emailed to us (Jon and Amanda) and one of us will email you back unless you specify that you would prefer phone or text.

When you call our main number you will get a recorded message asking you to select the extension number for who you would like to speak to. When we are in client sessions we are unable to answer the phone so you will usually get through to voicemail – please leave a message with your contact details and a preferred time to call. All messages are treated as confidential. When we phone back we will check that it is convenient to speak. If not we can call back later. If someone else answers the phone we will not leave a message with them, we will try again later

We have a cancellation policy which requires full payment if less than 24 hours notice is given. We try to be flexible for genuine emergencies but we do need to protect our time as well.

Individual counselling or psychotherapy sessions are usually 50 minutes long.

Couple counselling sessions are usually 60 minutes long.

This is understandably a common question and the answer varies widely for each person. Whilst some people will get the clarity that they need after only a few sessions, most people will have ongoing therapy that continues for as long as needed. We do not restrict the number of sessions for anybody; we work in an open ended style and we are available for you until you get to a place where you feel able to manage by yourself.

This is a rather complex question and worth asking each therapist directly what their personal view is as definitions will vary between clinicians. Generally speaking, at Auckland City Therapy we use the term counselling to describe short term therapy with a focus on a specific situation or problem that is causing distress and exploring ways in which that situation can be more effectively managed.

Psychotherapy, on the other hand, will help you to understand how the experiences in your life have shaped you into who you are, and then look at what aspects of your character you may wish to improve. In other words, counselling will tend to focus outwards and psychotherapy will tend to focus inwards (problem outside of me vs problem inside of me).

At Auckland City Therapy we will usually apply a blend of both approaches according to your specific needs.

No preparation is required. During the first session your therapist will ask questions in order to understand what has prompted you to seek counselling or psychotherapy at this time. If you would like to know more, this article will give you some additional information about your first counselling session.

Yes, everything you tell your therapist is treated as strictly confidential. The only exception to this is if there is a threat to someone’s safety; either your own or somebody else’s.

Couples therapy is slightly more complex if you have a session without your partner present. This article explains how this works.

This can work. However, there are some considerations that are useful to discuss at the beginning of therapy. The two main concerns are: how information that was discussed in the individual therapy will be treated when the couple therapy commences, and how your partner will feel about joining a therapy that is already established.

Sometimes this scenario this can work well with one therapist and sometimes it is more appropriate to do the individual therapy with one therapist and then begin the couple therapy with a new therapist that you both have an equal alliance to.

Yes. Couples therapy is not just about staying together; it can also be about separating well. When there are children involved their well-being is paramount and couples therapy can help you both work through the separation process whilst keeping the impact on your children at a minimum.

We do not work with children but if you contact us we may be able to offer a referral to a therapist in your area who does.

Most people are a little nervous about making an appointment. Please feel free to call either of us and have a chat on the phone beforehand and we can answer any questions or concerns you might have. You may also find this page helpful – Your first counselling or psychotherapy session