Janina Gould

Kia ora koutou,

I’m Janina, a Masters qualified counselling therapist based in Cromwell, Central Otago, offering in-person and online counselling across New Zealand.

I use a pluralistic counselling approach, which simply means there’s no one-size-fits-all method. Together, we find what feels right for you – combining evidence-based practices like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Person-Centred Therapy with culturally attuned perspectives.

My sessions are guided by open communication, shared decision-making, and collaboration. For me, counselling is about creating a safe, welcoming space where you can bring all parts of yourself – the strong, the uncertain, and everything in between.

Special Interests

• Maternal mental health
• Working with the Deaf individuals (I am hearing, and I am NZ Sign Language proficient)
• Adults and youth mental health (12+ years old)

I work with people who are experiencing

• Anxiety and overwhelm
• Low mood and Depression
• Relationship challenges
• Emotional regulation
• Grief
• Stress
• Burnout
• Identity
• Self-esteem
• Life transitions
• Trauma (mild to moderate)

To ensure safety and appropriate care, I am not currently working with:

• Clients experiencing high-risk crisis
• Severe or complex mental health presentations requiring intensive support

If this applies, I’m happy to help you think about other support options.

Research

I recently published research focused on Deaf mental health, from the perspectives of the mental health professional, sign language interpreter and the culturally Deaf client, you can read more here:

• Full article: A qualitative synthesis of literature on mental health therapies for Deaf and hard-of-hearing people from multiple perspectives: the Deaf client, the mental health practitioner and the sign language interpreter