About me
My counselling practice is based in Upwey, Weymouth, and I meet people in person from across Dorchester, Weymouth and Portland.
I work in an integrative way, drawing on humanistic values and psychodynamic ideas. What this really means is that I’ll meet you as you are - with your own story, your own way of thinking, and your own lived experience. Together, we’ll gently explore whatever feels important, including the parts of yourself or your life that might feel a little uncomfortable or uncertain right now. I’ll be curious with you, and I’ll support you in understanding how your past may be shaping the way you move through the world today.
Most of the time, I work face-to-face in a calm, dedicated therapy space, but I’m also very happy to offer online sessions or outdoor therapy if that feels more comfortable for you.
Counselling gives you a safe, confidential space where you can talk about whatever matters to you - without judgement, pressure, or expectation. My role is to walk alongside you, to listen deeply, and to support you at a pace that feels right for you.
You might come with clear goals, or you might prefer to let our conversations unfold naturally. Sometimes I may gently introduce ideas or themes that I think could be helpful, but you’ll always lead the way. We’ll also pause from time to time to check in with each other and reflect on how things are going.
Training, qualifications & experience
I trained with Iron Mill College in Poole to achieve my qualifications. During this time, I completed placement counselling sessions at Coastland College (Weymouth College) and with Relationships Wessex in Dorchester.
I’ve worked with clients facing a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, food relationship issues, family estrangement, gender and identity exploration, grief and bereavement, attachment issues and childhood trauma. I also support people who are experiencing painful or intrusive suicidal thoughts. I have worked with many clients with an ADHD and/or ASD diagnosis.
I’ve spent time working with men - or people exploring what it means to be a man - especially in a world where ideas about masculinity are shifting. This can include developing emotional awareness, accessing feelings, identifying your values, understanding burnout, navigating work/life balance, exploring the roles you hold in your relationships, or looking at the personas you’ve learned to adopt. We can also work together on pressure, frustration, and anger.
As someone who has migrated to this country, I also bring lived experience to work with clients who are navigating life as immigrants. Together, we can explore themes like loss, grief, identity changes, cultural masking, isolation, and the challenge of building a new sense of belonging and community.
My counselling style tends to work best with clients aged 16 and over.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Additional information
I do have a small number of concessionary session spaces, which I reserve where there is a need, on a first-come basis. Please ask.
Further information
Choosing Hāpai as the name for my practice felt like the right way to bring together both my vision for the support I offer and the heritage that shaped me. I was born and raised in New Zealand, and I’ve always felt that Māori words often carry a depth and a sense of wholeness that can be hard to capture in English. A single word can hold a whole feeling, a whole intention.
I’m not of Māori descent myself, but as a New Zealander, Māori language, customs and beliefs have always been part of the culture I grew up in - part of the world that shaped my values and the way I see things. I hold that with appreciation and celebrate it.
By using the name Hāpai, I’m acknowledging the indigenous roots of the word and offering respect to the culture it comes from. It’s a way of honouring where the word belongs, while carrying its meaning forward into the work I do with clients.
