Marie Barrett

I help people from all walks of life to ultimately find more of themselves.

Our therapy sessions focus on relieving distress to help improve your emotional world and to gain an understanding of hidden dynamics that gives you greater clarity and understanding. Slowly, together we work to untangle the knots that have left you feeling stuck, confused or directionless.

What I can Help With

Clients come to therapy for all sorts of reasons including:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Addictions
• Relationship challenges
• Grieving and loss
• Life changes

I have a special interest in helping clients find meaning and purpose in their life, and also clients who want to explore their spirituality.

Therapeutic Approach

I am formally trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy and look at how your past experiences have influenced how you feel act and relate to others now. You may feel stuck or limited by habitual ways developed that served you in the past but may feel limiting now. Understanding why and how these feelings and responses developed can help reduce the hold they may have had on you. My training involves helping you become more aware of your patterns and gradually together we process the knots that have been problematic which potentially untangles and releases the pressures. Working and recognizing these hidden dynamics gives enormous clarity and understanding that really contributes to change and transformation. Instead of being controlled by life, the process of therapy helps you gain a stronger sense of yourself, that gives you more choice and freedom.

Counselling Experience

My background is working with trauma mental health and addictions. I have 25 years’ experience with Auckland Sexual Abuse Help a leading service in sexual abuse care providing crisis support and short term therapy to individuals and families. I have experience in Mental Health with clients who presented with personality disorders providing support and care. I also have experience in addictions with Community Alcohol and Drug Services. Alongside these non-profit agencies I have my own private practice in Mt Eden.