Anita Edwards

I believe that ultimately we know ourselves best. Sometimes our knowing can be confused and counselling is a useful tool in working through this, giving space and time to process life’s challenges and the chance to be heard and acknowledged.

Areas of Special Interest

• Postnatal and antenatal distress (PND)
• Grief, Sadness, Stress
• Depression, Anxiety
• Life changes and transitions
• Relationship difficulties
• Parenting challenges
• Abortion, Miscarriage
• PMDD
• Chronic illnesses
• Challenges with mental health & wellbeing

Counselling/Therapy Services

Stress can make it hard to work out what we need and want. In our initial conversation prior to an appointment, we will have a brief chat about your needs and expectations and establish the next step. This will usually be setting up an appointment time or sometimes referring you to a more suitable organisation or person.

Why counselling?
Speaking our thoughts out loud in a safe place can allow us to hear them differently and consider them in new ways.

How does counselling with me work?
Together we can work through your challenges in a confidential space, with honest conversation.

I have personally found counselling an invaluable space to express myself and ‘find my feet’ through various struggles. Learning and new perspectives along my counselling journeys have helped me create and maintain changes and boundaries in my own life.

Counselling/Therapy Approach

We work with your current worldview and in our korero we may unpack your story and other possible stories; check what else is in the picture, or what might be; consider goals and practical results; look at patterns and boundaries. To support you in doing this I utilise techniques from Narrative Therapy, Te Whare Tapa Wha, Solution Focused Therapy, Client Centred Therapy and Interactive Drawing Therapy (IDT).

My work is underpinned by Te Tiriti’s principles of Partnership, Protection and Participation and the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) Code of Ethics.

Background and Experience

I retrained in Counselling as my children got older, graduating in early 2016. This has included working with clients around relationships, boundaries, grief and loss, parenting, anxiety and depression, baby loss, post and ante natal distress (for both women and men) and supporting/living with someone experiencing well-being challenges. I attend regular supervision and enjoy attending a variety of Professional Development courses and workshops to continue my learning.

I am currently working part time as a counsellor in private practice and would love to support your journey.

Some of my other work history has been spent in lots of libraries, various helping roles, parenting and parenting related support groups.