Sue Harris

Ka mahi te tawa uho ki te riri
Well done you who have the courage of the heart of the tawa tree.

Kia ora. My name is Sue Harris. Am Canuck-Kiwi.

I have relocated from New Zealand to Vanuatu end of 2022 for my therapy and counselling business. I continue to be available for private online therapy and counselling for people in NZ as well as other countries.

Work History: 27 years in a private group practice in Tauranga (including private, ACC, EAP, Family Court, DHB-PHO and then relocated to Te Hiku Far North working as sole clinician.

Hobbies: wildlife photography – land and under the sea, freediving, my dog, community issues/projects, enjoy cooking and being travel guide for friends and family.

What brings people to therapy/counselling?

Usually there is emotional upset – you re just not yourself ie depression, unresolved grief and loss, anxiety, withdrawing, substance use, anger. It might be from a recent event-loss of a job, divorce, death,  and normally you manage well.

For others there are recent events but this adds to  repetitive destructive painful  internal messages to oneself that are always there –  “I am unloveable, I don’t need anybody, nothing ever works out”.  And then we use protective patterns, coping strategies to reduce the pain but it is only a temporary fix.

Areas of Special Interest

• Trauma – family violence, childhood abuse
• Family dysfunctional patterns and impact on one’s development – ie self-concept, developing and maintaining relationships – work, friends, family, partners, children
• Sexuality issues
• Identity

Counselling/Therapy Services

Knowing that you are not ok, not happy, troubled, lonely, confused, maybe depressed, and want to feel better is the first step. It is a brave act to seek outside help from yes a stranger, even though a qualified one!

Our work together is one of joint exploration and of trying to find out what is really going on – it is not just symptom relief of a problem.

I see the outcomes as building developing resilience – can cope with life’s challenges – with more effective coping strategies, more effective genuine communication, stronger reliable relationships, often better self-care.

Often we are afraid of our emotions, or are ruled by them or don’t understand them. Therapy can assist in developing emotional tolerance/capacity and for some people they need help to dial these down so this needs more of a thinking/reflecting approach.

Counselling/Therapy Approach

The therapeutic relationship is central to how I work with clients whether our work is short term or longer term – the building of trust, of being truly heard, of revealing oneself to another and to oneself. The interactions between myself and a client often mirrors/represents their relationship difficulties but also reveals deeper less “conscious” information that is often more understood after the session.

• What has brought you to therapy at this time? Why now?
• What are patterns, coping methods that use to try and manage your difficulty?
• What has contributed to your present situation?
• What are you strengths, your anchors?

I work from an existential-psychodynamic base.

Background and Experience

Twenty seven years as a self-employed psychotherapist within a group practice – private clients, contracted client work – ie ACC, Victim Support, Family Court, EAP schemes. I work with Maori as well as Pakeha – clients from different cultural backgrounds. I have had and will continue with appropriate cultural supervision for Maori clients.

Have worked with a variety of clients:

• with various levels of depression, anxiety – ie. OCD, phobias
• personality disorders – Borderline, schizoid, avoidant
• clients with complex presentations – ie personality disorders with alcohol, depression, trauma issues
• clients with relational issues – marital/couple, family, elders, dislocation and alienation
• workplace bullying, employment issues.