Effective Online Counselling and Psychotherapy from Anywhere in New Zealand

Online appointments allow you to meet with the therapist of your choice, no matter where you are.

Research has repeatedly shown that a good fit between a client and therapist makes a significant difference to therapy. However, when the counsellor or psychotherapist you want to work with is too far away, online counselling and psychotherapy overcomes this restriction. It allows you to meet with the therapist of your choosing no matter where you are located. Furthermore, extensive research has shown that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy.

Even if your therapist is in the same town, travelling to the office, parking, and sitting in the waiting room all add time and friction to your appointment. Online therapy removes these hassles and allows you to simply connect into your session at your scheduled appointment time. You can conduct your online sessions from your home, your office, or any private location—all you need is privacy and an internet connection.

Your Assurance: Qualified & Registered Online Therapists

Whether you are shopping online or doing your internet banking, you need to know that the business you are dealing with is legitimate. Online therapy is no different.

While the online world does not provide the same physical evidence as meeting somebody in-person, in New Zealand it is easy to check that your online counsellor or psychotherapist is a qualified professional by checking their registration status.

We are both registered psychotherapists with the Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand (PBANZ). This ensures you receive ethical, professional care.

Reasons to Use Online Therapy

Online counselling and psychotherapy services offer flexibility and convenience that traditional in-person sessions cannot match. Here are the key benefits:

  • Ultimate Convenience & Time Efficiency: Enjoy therapy without the drive, parking, or waiting room friction.

  • Access Experts Anywhere in NZ: You can work with the best-fit therapist, even if you live in an area where local, suitable therapists are unavailable.

  • Ideal for Couples in Different Locations: Couples who are physically separated can both dial in to join the session together seamlessly.

  • Maintain Continuity While Travelling: If you travel frequently for work, you can easily attend regular appointments regardless of your location.

  • Protect Your Privacy in Small Communities: If your community is so small that your privacy could be jeopardised by attending a local office, online sessions offer discreet access.

  • When Travel is Difficult: Illness, disability, or a lack of easy transportation no longer make it difficult to get to therapy.

  • Support for Expats: If you are an expatriate, you can connect with a therapist who understands your language and culture.

Preparing for Your Optimal Online Session

Online therapy is a convenient and effective way to engage in counselling and psychotherapy. However, a few extra considerations are needed to avoid unnecessary stress or friction during your session. Planning and testing these points in advance will considerably improve your experience.

When we meet clients in person, we provide a private, comfortable, safe place where they will not be disturbed. The same conditions are required for online sessions, but you will need to create this space yourself.

Check Your Tech (Wifi & Audio)

  • Wifi: First and foremost, make sure the location you choose for your therapy session has good wifi coverage and test it beforehand. speedtest.net is a quick and easy way to test your connection speed.

  • Headphones: Using headphones makes hearing your therapist's voice much easier and clearer, helps your therapist hear you better, and significantly aids privacy.

  • Test Everything: Technical problems can arise, but most can be avoided with preparation. Allow time for an early test run to ensure you don't have a flat battery or a poor wifi signal.

Ensure Complete Privacy

  • Privacy: Make sure you will not be disturbed or overheard during your session. It will be difficult to talk freely if you are worried that other people can hear you, and interruptions from family or flatmates can be very disruptive.

Setup for Comfort

  • Comfort: Individual sessions are 50 minutes long, and couples sessions are an hour. Make sure you have somewhere comfortable to sit and maybe have a glass of water on hand.

  • Screen & Surface: Use a large screen (if possible). Find a suitable, sturdy surface to hold your device; constantly moving your screen is distracting for the person on the other end. For couples, you will both need to see the screen and be able to turn and talk easily to each other.

Eliminate Interruptions

  • Do Not Disturb: Set your device to Do Not Disturb for the hour so you don't get emails, texts, or notifications interrupting your flow.

Some simple planning will vastly improve your online therapy experience. If you take these points into consideration, you will quickly forget that the session is by video, leaving you free to discuss the things that matter.

Arrange your online session:

  1. Click: Get in touch using the 'Get Started' button below.

  2. Connect: We will email you back to arrange a convenient appointment time and send a short admission form to fill in.

  3. Meet: Once we receive the completed form, we will send you a secure Google Meet link that you will use to access the session.

Everything else is the same as an in-person meeting would be in our office.