Katrina Jacobsen Online

Kia ora. Having a warm and caring therapist who ‘gets you’ is so important to feeling safe enough to change. I create an individualised approach and work collaboratively with you so that you find a way through the struggle to feel more clear, whole, and happier.

Widen the possibilities for your life and achieve greater well-being. 

He moana pukepuke, e ekengia
A choppy sea, can be navigated.

Areas of Special Interest

• relational issues
• anger
• grief
• depression and/or anxiety
• childhood & incident-related trauma
• workplace relationships & impacts
• understanding what’s happening in your couple-relationship
• helping you parent despite difficult behaviours.

Counselling/Therapy Services

My aim is that you finish therapy feeling you’ve achieved what you set out to do, are coping with life, and are happier. I’m genuinely interested and care about you and I’m compassionate, straightforward, practical, and real.

Your objective matters – so I consider what will help you most effectively and appropriately.  That includes my working in an emotionally-focused manner so that you feel understood and are able to work through what’s been difficult and painful. That might include needing to accept what cannot be changed – that can be hard but there’s always a way. Or maybe it’s to confront a situation – together we can face that.

I’m an experienced clinician that’s particularly research-informed and that includes ideas from neuroscience and nutritional biochemistry.

I’ve the flexibility to provide differing ways of working. My core training was in the humanistic, cognitive-behavioural, and psychodynamic (focusing on the unconscious) fields*. I’ve added several other ways of understanding human nature.

• I use methods like attachment-based emotionally focused therapy (EFT), transactional analysis (TA), brain-based therapy, focusing, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and family systems.
• Our unconscious processes are expressed in our bodies so that’s important too
• I use mindfulness in a practical way and have a particular focus on nutrition, as it affects the brain and our moods.

Though I no longer work with couples, teenagers, and families, it still features in my individual work if there’s issues stemming from when you were young or in relation to a partner/family member/friend/or colleague.

My Psychotherapeutic Approach

Firstly, I like to understand the issue you’re experiencing and your goals. It’s okay if you don’t know – sometimes good therapy is about exploring and clarifying things. I also like to find out about you – I’m curious about your emotions, beliefs, personality, partner, family, culture, gender, sexuality, and your strengths – we all have them.

We’ll then work out what might help. I draw on my training, client experience, and sometimes my organisational background.

I’m respectful of your readiness and the way you work – it’s so important that it’s you that sets the pace of our work. I like to keep checking with you on how you’re going and how you feel I’m going with you.

Background and Experience

I’m a registered psychotherapist with a Master’s level qualification (Certified Transactional Analyst – Psychotherapy), and work in private practice using Zoom. I’m also a Level 2 Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) couples therapist including family work.

In the past I:

• Worked at Parent Help –  focusing on parents, and couples and mild to serious mental health and behavioural issues including patterns of interpersonal-aggression.
• Was a group therapist working with parents of teens to improve family relationship through altering patterns of disengagement and anger.
• Worked for both government and commercial organisations in roles focused on working with people in change and management roles prior to becoming a psychotherapist.

*I’ve training and experience in areas such as: diagnosis, attachment, family systems, mood disorders, communication, relational trauma, and personality disorders.