Karin Christensen Counselling and Hypnotherapy

02/05/2025

Kia ora koutou katoa
I am now back at work and have availability from week commencing 5th May.

Arohanui
Karin

24/03/2025

Kia ora koutou katoa
I am currently on bereavement leave until end April 2025 so if your enquiry is urgent, please look for another support person. I intend to recommence seeing clients from May 1st.

Arohanui
Karin

15/02/2025

Kia ora koutou katoa, this is a polite notice that my individual counselling fees will increase from the current $80 an hour, to $100 an hour from 1st April 2025.

This increase is necessary to meet my increased professional overheads as a qualified and registered counsellor, but I continue to offer a discretionary KOHA service to those where finances present a barrier to accessing support.

As a NZCCA registered counsellor, I now accept clients who are able to access WINZ support for Disability Allowance towards counselling, please contact me if you are considering this as an option. Information about WINZ eligibility can be found here:
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/health-and-disability/counselling.html

Arohanui

Karin

31/01/2025

Identity is a common theme to emerge in sessions, specifically a sense that identity is dependent on what a person does or is shaped by what has happened to them.

There is a real danger of identity being so tied up with achievements, be it work, academic or sporting, things we do for others, or past failures and transgressions and historic victimisation and trauma, that we don't know who we are outside of these things.

Often, clients struggle to verbalize what they believe in, what they stand for, their personal qualities, their principles, ethics and values.

However, when we explore these ideas and engage in self-reflective work, people often develop a stronger sense of self, become more resilient and grounded, more confident and assertive in everyday life, usually resulting in a reduction of feelings of anxiety and depression.

Counselling as skilled helping can be a powerful tool for positive change!

Photo credit: Laurenz Kleinheider on Unsplash.com

05/01/2025

Kia ora koutou katoa and happy new year! I am now back to normal hours: By appointment Monday-Saturday, in person or online (NZ only) and I offer a free initial 30-minute consultation via telephone, Zoom or in person to meet and explore what is going on for you, and whether we are likely to be a good therapeutic match.

I hear a lot of talk about "new year's resolutions" at this time and understand that for many of us the beginning of a new year can bring increased motivation and inspiration to make positive changes (although I personally think these should not be postponed to a new year!), and I typically receive more enquiries for services such as my Smoking Cessation hypnotherapy and weight loss/diet related issues.

For many people still, Christmas and New Year have proved stressful and emotional and have highlighted issues around family dysfunction, trauma or loneliness and a new year can bring a sense of despair and stagnation rather than hope. If you have anything you would like to work through, please feel free to reach out for a chat about how I may be able to support you.

27/12/2024

I hope you all enjoyed a merry Christmas and some quality time with family and friends. For us it was quiet one as my husband awaits a spinal operation but this arrived the week before Christmas and was easily the best Christmas present ever!

09/12/2024

New business cards arrived! 😍

08/12/2024

DECEMBER/JANUARY AVAILABILITY:
Mon-Sat through to Monday 23rd December - OPEN
Christmas eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day - CLOSED
December 27th, 28th and 30th - OPEN
December 31st and January 1st, 2025 - CLOSED
Available as usual from Thursday 2nd January 2025 :-)

I know that major holiday times can be triggering or lonely for many and that access to psychological and emotional support can be scant during these times, so please do not hesitate to reach out if you need a listening ear.

Arohanui

Karin

29/11/2024

I have officially finished my counselling education now and received the grade for my final paper, just awaiting the academic transcript! My focus is now on developing my private practice and networking with local counsellors and organizations to keep informed about alternative supports for clients.

However, professional practice inevitably comes with increased overheads, such as professional registration, insurance, costs of continuing professional development and supervision which will necessitate an increase in my fees next year. I will continue to offer my KOHA services to be able to support those for whom counselling would otherwise be inaccessible.

I am available for appointments Monday-Saturday and offer meetings in person in my New Plymouth office, and online (NZ only) and continue to offer an initial free consult to ensure we are a good therapeutic fit.

Aroha Nui
Karin

14/11/2024

My couples counselling service has really started to pick up and I am constantly tweaking my approach as I integrate new learnings about communication styles, default listening positions, areas of conflict and "stuckness" from my work so far and I am learning that theory can only prepare you for practice to a certain extent, there is no substitute for actual work with "real" people and situations.

What my work so far has confirmed to me is that relationship work is an area I find very rewarding and wish to continue developing skills in. Seeing people make the shift from conflict to connection and respectful communication is something very special. I currently offer relationship support as a koha service because I feel it is typically a service that is under met and overpriced and out of reach for many families who really need some external support and intervention. It may be of no surprise that the most common issues I have seen brought to the table revolve around the four areas of communication, finances, children and s*x!

If you have been sitting on the fence about getting outside support, please feel free to contact me for a chat about how I may be able to help :-)

10/11/2024

First week without coursework! I submitted the final assignment for my counselling degree earlier this month and am now awaiting the grade. Two more classes and I am officially done! I cannot begin to tell you how it feels to have achieved an education in a mahi I absolutely love!

07/10/2024