Find the Therapist that Best Suits your Needs
Meet The Team
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Johanna Bannister
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Kate Burke
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Sam Farmer
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Virginia Farnsworth-Grodd
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Megan Fowler
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Anjana Gaekwad
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Paul Gregory
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Ian Lambie
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Danute Leathem
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Traude Leibbrand
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Anne Raethel
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Julian Reeves
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Katie Ritchie
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Kirsty Rorke
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Eileen Swan
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Campbell Thompson
Our Team
Johanna Bannister
M SW, PG Dip Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, PG Dip. Clin Supervision, PG Dip. Public Health and Psychodrama. Member of CBT Australasia
Johanna has an extensive and varied background, working as a mental health clinician and a clinical supervisor in both public and private settings. She is interested in working with the effects that depression/anxiety/trauma and loss can have on a client’s mental health and relationships.
She uses CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and Mindfulness to assist clients to address these difficulties. She has worked for many years in Maternal Mental Health specializing in working with parents who are adjusting to parenting and managing strong emotions related to birth trauma and parenting.
Johanna is an experienced COS-P Parenting (attached parenting) facilitator. Areas of specific knowledge and expertise: Adult mental health, Trauma, Family therapy, Parenting/Separation, Conflicted relationship dynamics, Stress, Anxiety, and Addiction issues and their effects.
Kate Burke
BA Sociology (Hons), PG Dip Applied Social Studies, Qualification Social Work. PG Dip Soc Sci. PG Dip Psych (Hons). Member of NZPs, AFCC, NZCCP.
Kate’s study, work experience and applied training began in 1972. Her career has included working with clients engaged in mental health services and statutory care and protection services in residential and non-residential settings.
Special interests included supervision, training, policy development, fostering, adoption, pain management, and family therapy.
Kate started her counselling practice in 1990. In 2001 she was appointed as a specialist report writer for the NZ Family Court. She completed a Lawyers Engaged in Alternative Dispute Resolution,(LEADR) mediation training in 2010. Kate currently works on direct referrals from the NZ Family Court. Consultation can be requested for those who have not yet made applications through the Family Court.
Sam Farmer
MSc Forensic & Legal Psychology; MSc Social Policy & Social Work Studies.
Registered Psychologist (NZ); Chartered Coaching Psychologist (UK). Accredited Coaching Supervisor (Oxford Brookes Business School). Associated Fellow, International Society for Coaching Psychology
Sam has worked as a Coaching Psychologist for over 15 years and was co-founding Chair of the NZ Coaching Psychology Special Interest Group (2009). As Owner-Director of Enhance Facilitation Limited, his clients include diverse leaders and other professionals working in the corporate, not-for-profit and state sectors. He also provides psycho-social support in international humanitarian contexts.
As well as coaching individuals, Sam designs and facilitates proactive teams and groups who value the opportunity to enhance the sustainability and psychological safety of their organisational context. His writing and presentations also contribute to the growth of coaching psychology worldwide.
Integrating Acceptance and Commitment Coaching, Compassion-Focused Leadership, matauranga Māori and other strength-based approaches, Sam’s practice is values-led, systems-informed and inclusive. He is transparent in his application of confidentiality and ethical practice; and clients appreciate his ability to integrate good humour with collaboration and challenge.
Virginia Farnsworth-Grodd
D. Clin Psych, BSc (Hons), PGDipSc., BMus., BA, Dip.IMT. Member of NZCCP, Daapanz, MINT.
Virginia is a Registered Clinical Psychologist, she specialises in alcohol and drug problems, depression, anxiety-related disorders (including performance anxiety) stress, coping with physical illness and tinnitus. She works with couples and families experiencing relationship problems. She sees adolescents, adults, couples and families.
Virginia uses evidence-based interventions that include Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Motivational Interviewing. She is a member of MINT the Motivational interviewing International Network of Trainers and runs training in this area. Virginia provides Alcohol and Drug assessments for legal concerns.
Her areas of expertise reflect her wide-ranging interests; from 2000-2018 she designed, coordinated and lectured ‘Musicians’ Health,’ an interdisciplinary paper between Medical Health and Sciences and The School of Music. She works part-time as the Clinical Advisor for Health NZ’s Community Alcohol and Drug Services (CADS), Waitemata. She offers supervision for senior health professionals.
Megan Fowler
MA(Hons), PG DipClinPsych. Member of NZPsS, ICP, ASSBI, INS, APA.
Megan is a registered clinical psychologist and paediatric neuropsychologist. She works with parents, children, adolescents and young adults up to the age of 25 years.
She provides an approach to working with families and individuals that is based on the latest research into the neuroscience of attachment, child development and parenting. It emphasises the way a child’s brain develops, it’s capabilities and difficulties at various ages, and ways of strengthening attachments and relationships. This is not a behavioural management approach but one that provides a different way of understanding and addressing both young, and older children’s emotional and behavioural challenges.
She applies this model to those presenting with a range of psychological, emotional and/or behavioural problems.
For further information please see: handtoheartproject.com
Anjana Gaekwad
MA (Clin.Psych, Hons), MPhil. in Med. & Social Psychology,
PG Cert. in Family & Systems Therapy. Member of NZCCP.
Trained in India and New Zealand, Anjana is a Registered Clinical Psychologist; she offers psychotherapy across a wide range of child, adolescent and adult mental health issues, particularly in the areas of anxiety and stress-related disorders, depression, trauma and abuse issues. She also offers family and relationship interventions.
Working from a developmental and systemic perspective, she collaborates with clients to help them understand their current difficulties in the context of their life history, experiences and relationships. Her work is informed by ACT, mindfulness-based CBT, Systems Therapy and Social Constructionist approach to assist clients in making desired changes and achieving their goals.
She is a certified EMDR therapist and a Gottman Couple therapist. With over twenty-five years of experience, working with mental health issues in the public system and private practice, she has been involved in the teaching and training of Clinical Psychology at the University level.
Paul Gregory
MA (Hons), MBA, PG DipClinPsych. Member of NZPsS.
Paul is a Registered Clinical Psychologist who specialises in treating anxiety, stress-related disorders, depression, drug and alcohol abuse and PTSD in adults. He has worked in private and public practice for over 20 years in NZ and UK. He has also spent a number of years in business and understands the mental health issues related to business activities.
Paul uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Schema Therapy as the basis for his assistance. The focus of therapy is to assist clients to address their issues to gain a greater sense of stability, reward and enjoyment in their lives.
Paul believes an important part of this process is developing a sound therapeutic relationship with clients and he is experienced at this. He offers therapy in his office, or virtually via a secure video link.
Ian Lambie
ONZM, PhD, PG DipClinPsych, DipBusStudies (TQM), RCpnN, Member of NZPsS.
Ian is a registered Clinical Psychologist with a Doctorate in Psychology. Ian graduated from the Universities of Otago and Auckland. Ian specialises in working with children, adolescents, young adults and their parents/caregivers. Ian also works with adult males in long-term psychotherapy. Ian provides psychological therapy for a wide range of emotional and behavioural issues, alongside parenting interventions.
Originally training as a nurse, Ian came to clinical psychology with ‘real world’ practical experience, which was further developed by working with youth offenders in outdoor wilderness-based therapy for over 10 years. Ian worked at the Leslie Centre (child and family services) - Presbyterian Support Services and SAFE Network for many years. Ian works with the Police, Fire and Emergency, Department of Corrections and Oranga Tamariki. Ian also worked in sports psychology and was sports psychologist for the Black Stick woman’s team and sports psychologist for the Auckland Aces (men’s cricket team for 10 years). Ian is a Director of Sports Psychology Associates.
Ian provides clinical supervision and is trained in Cognitive Behavioural therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Group Therapy. Ian has sat on numerous Governance Boards and leads the Judicial Wellbeing programme for New Zealand.
Ian is a Professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Auckland and is Chief Science Advisor to the Justice Sector for the New Zealand Government, so, therefore, works part-time at Millennium.
Danute Leathem
BA, MA (Hons), PG DipClinPsych. Member of NZPsS, NZCCP, EMDRAA, NZ Pain Society.
Danute is a Registered Clinical Psychologist; she works with individuals from the age of 16 years, with a wide variety of commonly experienced problems, such as depression, anxiety and stress, etc, and also the less usual issues that can challenge us. She has forty years of experience, and her focus is on helping you achieve your goals in a welcoming collaborative and non-judgmental environment. She is experienced in a wide variety of treatment modalities and will work with you to decide which will best address your needs.
Clinical areas of service are offered in: Depression, Anxiety, Sleep problems, Phobias, Obsessive and Compulsive Disorders, including hair pulling, skin picking, etc. Weight management, Coping with physical illness, Substance dependence, ACC Physical Injury.
Danute is also able to offer women support/psychological treatment for concerns around:
Coping with breast cancer
Dealing with and managing sexual pain conditions
Stress in the workplace
Traude Leibbrand
Registered Psychologist, Clinical Scope
lic phil I Clin Psych (Zurich). Member of NZPsS.
Traude received her psychology degree at Zurich University, Switzerland. She has practiced as a registered clinical psychologist in New Zealand since 1986. She sees adolescents, adults and couples and has worked extensively in private practice as well as in public health settings.
Apart from working with a wide range of common presenting problems like anxiety, depression, work-related stress, grief etc Traude has a special interest in supporting clients to resolve past or recent trauma and she has extensive training in the treatment of post-traumatic stress following abuse, accident or injury. She is registered as a treatment provider for ACC for clients with a physical injury, for EAP Services and Insurance Companies.
She offers both short-term interventions as well as longer-term psychotherapy, combining relational psychodynamic and trauma-based principles with developmental attachment theory. Traude is also a trained practitioner of Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT). Traude likes to use the first appointment to comprehensively assess the presenting issues and to formulate together with the client a joint plan for treatment.
Anne Raethel
MA (HONS) Dip Ed Psych Dip Health Science LLB Dip Tchg.
Anne has a specialized practice in issues surrounding Family Court referrals and assessments. She works mainly with court-ordered assessments from the Family Court by the Ministry of Justice and other government agencies. Anne has expertise and experience in mediation, problem-solving, child development and counselling in this area of work. She combines an approach that is grounded in education, psychology, and legal knowledge.
Julian Reeves
B.Sc., PG.Dip.Sci.(Psychol), (Otago). NZPsyB (Clinical Scope)
Fellow & Former President of the College of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists (FNZCCP)
Julian works with a range of psychological referrals, with a particular focus on depression and anxiety. He has an additional focus of trauma and its sequelae (particularly post-traumatic stress disorder) and continues to work with emergency services and hospital staff dealing with difficult circumstances. He has previously worked in mental health services and the general medical area for Auckland District Health Board including the Auckland Regional Pain Service.
He has an honorary appointment as a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland and has formerly held the roles of Psychology Advisor, Professional Leader Psychology for Auckland District Health and Clinical Director, Mental Health for Procare.
Julian is available for individual counselling and psychotherapy in the areas of depression, anxiety, health psychology, stress and trauma, and relationship counselling.
He practices the following therapies:
Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Positive Psychology
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Katie Ritchie
MB ChB 1997 Auckland, FRANZCP 2010,
Certificate of Advanced Training in Adult Psychiatry 2010.
Full Registration: 25 November 1997. Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.
Katie specializes in a wide range of psychiatric difficulties including depression, other mood disorders, anxiety and psychoses. She has a particular interest in working with women and has expertise in crisis care, drug and alcohol dependency and maternal mental health. She has worked in the field of mental health for over 20 years and undertook her training as a specialist psychiatrist in Auckland; she works in the public health system on Auckland’s North Shore as well as in private practice.
She enjoys working with patients who experience a wide range of difficulties including depression, other mood disorders, anxiety and psychoses. During her training, she developed an interest in maternal mental health and an interest in working with women.
Her public practice has allowed her to develop particular expertise in crisis care, drug and alcohol dependency and maternal mental health.
Kirsty Rorke
MA (Hons), PGDipClinPsych. Member of NZPsS, IMHAANZ, HAANZ.
Kirsty is a Registered Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Scope. She qualified as a clinical psychologist in 2001 and has worked in adult community mental health and maternal mental health services. She has experience working with a wide range of mental health difficulties.
Kirsty’s specialist areas are:
Anxiety (including OCD, intrusive thoughts, social anxiety, phobias, PTSD), Depression and Trauma (including birth trauma). Peri and postnatal depression. Adjustment to parenting/Difficulty with bonding.
Kirsty’s primary therapy models are CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) depending on client preference and identified goals. She also has experience using DBT skills (dialectical behaviour therapy) and Circle of Security-Parenting approaches. Kirsty offers supervision to clinicians working in private practice and maternal mental health settings.
Eileen Swan
BA, MA (Hons), PG DipClinPsych. Member of NZPsS, BPS.
Eileen has a varied background, working as a Registered Clinical Psychologist both in New Zealand and England. A former nurse, with others she started HELP a sexual assault counselling service, and worked at a family therapy centre, as Managing Psychologist, Specialist Services, Oranga Tamariki followed by three years working in England in primary care, Health Psychology and forensic services. On return to New Zealand Eileen was a Manager at ADHB and Clinical Manager at Refugees as Survivors, Mangere.
Eileen has worked for many years both as a clinician and a manager and is particularly interested in working with depression and anxiety, using a wide variety of therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
Areas of specific knowledge and expertise:
Adult mental health
Trauma
Organisational and Change
Management
Health/chronic pain
Cross-cultural practice
Campbell Thompson
B.SC. (Hons) Psychology, D. Applied Psych., NZPsychReg (Counselling Scope), AHPRA PsychReg (Australia).
Campbell’s professional focus is in helping individuals and teams to optimise mental health, well-being and performance. Campbell has over 15 years’ experience as a registered psychologist working in general mental health as well as sporting, corporate and performing arts helping individuals and teams to enhance their mental health, well-being and performance.
Campbell is registered in the Counselling Psychology scopes of practice in NZ and Australia. He completed a B.Sc in Experimental Psychology with Honours and a Doctorate in Applied Psychology, as well as ongoing professional training and supervision in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and other mindfulness-based approaches. He has recently completed a 6-year programme to qualify as a certified Mindfulness Teacher from UC San Diego Medical School’s Centre for Mindfulness.
Campbell works in private practice helping clients with a range of issues from mood disorders, performance anxiety, trauma, and injury rehabilitation, through to recovery from burnout, performance enhancement and interpersonal dynamics at work. Campbell also coaches and facilitates leadership development, and presents on topics such as authentic leadership, resilience and mental skills in the corporate and public sectors.
In sports, Campbell has worked with in elite and professional athletes and teams internationally since 2008. He currently works as the lead psychologist for Athletics New Zealand, Rowing New Zealand, Auckland Cricket Association (Auckland Aces), and Richmond Tigers (AFL in Australia), where he supports elite and professional athletes, coaches and professional staff with performance and across a wide range of mental health challenges and presentations. In this work, he also develops, supervises and leads teams of psychologists and counsellors. Campbell has also supported teams with mental health and performance on the ground at major events such as AFL and NRL Grand Finals, Hockey World Cups 2014 & 2018, the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and Tokyo Olympic Games 2020/2021.
