Meet Helen

Registered Child and Family Psychologist

MA (Hons) Child and Family Psychology, PG Dip Child and Family Psychology, BA Psychology

Helen has seven years experience working with children, young people, and their families in various contexts including child and adolescent mental health, community service, care and protection and private practice. She previously worked as a Registered Early Childhood Teacher for over six years.

Helen is experienced in providing comprehensive assessments, therapeutic support and parenting support with Auckland families. She has worked with families from various ethnic backgrounds. She aims to provide a culturally safe environment.

Helen has a passion for children and young people, and seeing them thrive. She enjoys working in partnership with parents/caregivers and other significant adults to build up their knowledge and skills as the most important people in their child’s life.

Helen is a Member of New Zealand Psychological Society, and Associate Member with the Sandplay Therapy Association of New Zealand and Australia.

Therapeutic Approaches

Helen uses several research-based therapeutic approaches to meet the needs of your child or young person. These include:


Cognitive Behaviour Therapy


Play Therapy


Acceptance and Commitment Therapy


Parent-Child Interaction Therapy


Dialectical Behaviour Therapy


Positive Behaviour Support


Sandplay Therapy


Developmental theory

  • Grief and Loss

  • Attachment difficulties

  • Adjustment difficulties

  • Emotional dysregulation

  • Challenging behaviour

  • Social skills

  • Parenting skills

Areas of interest and experience

  • Trauma

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Toileting issues

  • Parent-child relationship

  • Sandplay is an expressive, creative and sensory form of therapy for children and adults. Sandplay gives opportunities for individuals to communicate their feelings, experiences and internal states in a safe and protected therapeutic space. Sandplay therapy allows individuals to express themselves non-verbally or difficult to verbalise feelings.

    Sandplay therapy uses sand, water and miniature figures in sandtrays across sessions to create a series of images. This facilitates dialogue between the conscious and unconscious thoughts, feelings, memories and instincts, brings healing and personal development.

    Sandplay therapy was developed by Dora Kalff (Jungian Psychologist). It is based on the work of psychologist C.G Jung and Margaret Lowenfeld (Paediatrician). Dora Kalff also had an interest in Eastern Philosophy which contributed to an deepened understanding of the creations made in the sand and the therapeutic attitude of the therapist.

    Sandplay therapy is recognised globally and is a research based approach for children, young people, and adults.