Tom Didovich

Mentoring ● Coaching ● Supervision ● Group-Facilitation ● Counselling

A place where you can start getting things sorted, so that you can enjoy a happier and healthier lifestyle.

If you are stuck on something in your life then talking with a trained and qualified counsellor can free you up for better and brighter things. I am here to listen, and then work with you to find your best way forward. Contact me today to achieve lifestyle improvements with long-lasting results.

Services

• Managing Anger
• Stress, Anxiety and Depression
• The “Blokes Shed” – Men’s Issues
• Pets – a special relationship
• Grief Counselling – Loss – Bereavement
• Management and Business Consultation
• Coaching for Music Performance
• Supervision

Therapeutic Approach

As a counsellor my work involves the following:

• Working alongside and with you
• Combining your personal knowledge, with my abilities as a counsellor, so we work together to find your own individualised ways forward.
• Jointly identifying and highlighting your own unique strengths and resources – because often people don’t realize the resources that they already possess.
• Developing practical tools and techniques to manage your daily experiences.
• Promoting self-reliance and the use of your own resources in meeting whatever challenges are present.
• Seeking an outcome where you are self-empowered to make your own choices for your own benefit
• Working together so that you achieve personal power and develop your own ways of managing things in the future

Narrative Therapy (NT) is the main platform of my approach. Also drawn on are other modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Transactional Analysis (TA), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Person Centered Counselling (Rogerian).

Tom’s Experience

I have experience in conflict resolution, mediation, counselling, and coaching experience within large organisations and businesses. I have more than 20 year’s management experience in Local Government and Charitable Organisations. I have worked as a telephone counsellor for Lifeline and Depression Line, and have trained with ManAlive to facilitate Men Living Without Violence programmes. I have also worked in private practice as a counsellor and coach for personal and relationship issues.

My Annual Certificate of Practice is current as a Member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (MNZAC). My practice is guided by the NZAC Code of Ethics.

Stress, Anxiety and Depression

When all three are occur together, this might be called ‘SAD syndrome’. There is also a condition known as “Seasonal Affective Disorder” (SAD) where the winter blues occurs. If you are stressed and/or suffering from anxiety and/or depression then it may be very important to practice prioritising, reorganising and even reducing some your activities. Talking with trained people in order to get things back on track can be a key to moving forward. I have experience in “Depression Line” telephone counselling and in face to face work with anxiety, depression and stress.

Anxiety, and its more severe forms – including panic attacks and phobias, is very treatable. There are techniques and approaches that can empower you to change the outcome of anxiety provoking situations. Suffering is not a pleasant option, especially when use of available assistance can assist you to achieve more peace of mind and reach a happier state.

The “Blokes Shed”

This is not just about anger management counselling. Both females and males can suffer from emotional issues. However, talking through their issues is not the most familiar thing for many males. Often boys are raised to be ‘real men’ and to ‘soldier on’ and be silent about their feelings. Which means that by the time adulthood arrives there can be a strongly developed ‘macho’ attitude and a awful lot of squashed feelings. Anger, hurt, grief and other emotions that have not been spoken about and heard can leave men feeling confused and depressed.

It is known that talking helps to release emotional tension, it will assist in understanding and coming to terms with what is happening. Talking can lead to clarity and new directions and a better outlook right now. The better ‘now’ can be the foundation for creating a better future.

I have specific training in dealing with men’s issues, including helping men work out how to live without violence and drama in their lives. If you are seeking more peace and harmony in your life then I am able to listen and work with you so that you can find a way to move forward.

Pets – a special relationship

Many people have very significant relationships with their pets such as dogs, horses, cats, fish, rabbits, goats and more. I have worked within the animal welfare industry for many years both with people and animals and am author of the “New Zealand Dog Owners’ Manual”. I have many years of learning and experience around the human-animal bond and also with many aspects of both human and animal behaviour and animal welfare law.

Often the largest hurdle in sharing one’s life with a pet is when the pet becomes very ill, is suffering in some way, and/or dies. Another common hurdle involves integrating a new dog or pup into a family environment. Talking about issues, experiences, management of, and relationships to do with your pet can be useful in terms of improving family harmony, lifestyle and/or simply for coming to terms with death of a pet and associated grief and loss.

Grief Counselling for Loss and Bereavement

How do people deal with the emotional pain from separation, divorce, death of a person or pet, terminal illness, suicide of a friend or family member, loss of a dream or a home or lifestyle and other traumatic events that may occur in life?

Being individuals, the coping and managing strategies that can be put in place to support and assist one through emotional hardships are as many and varied as the people who suffer this pain. Grief Counselling can help with growing around the pain. Being with the loss and reaching an acceptance of what has happened can be an extremely tough call. At such times, it is important to exercise considerable Self-Care and to reach out for all the support that is available. It can take time before moving forward. During this time it is important to have sound supports, and to take things a step at a time. I will assist in supporting you and working alongside you to highlight and develop your resources for getting through tough times associated with grief, loss and bereavement. Grief Counselling won’t instantly remove the pain but it can help you to find a way through.

Management and Business Consultation

The challenges of working in a team leader or management role can be many and varied. For example, issues relating to personal management style and related dilemmas of management decisions around staff and/or product can challenge even the most skilled managers and directors. Often managers are expected to simply possess both the internal resources and external management skills to tackle a tough situation, which may have potential for significant ramifications.

I have worked in management roles for over twenty years and studied behaviour and organisational psychology as part of study for a psychology degree. I will work with you to clarify options and approaches within decision making processes, and in the process explore with you how your personal approach impacts upon your business outcomes. Whether you are a director, senior manager, team leader or small business owner, the talking and sharing and exploring of your situation, options and approaches will lead to a happier and more productive you.

Coaching for Music Performance

As a musician who plays piano/keyboards I have some affinity with the dynamics and techniques of performance delivery relating to both bands and individual performance. I hold a Licentiate Diploma in Piano Performance from Trinity College London and have experience in covers bands and jazz bands and solo work. I will work with you as a coach to assist you to achieve improved levels of confidence and enhanced levels of musical performance.

Supervision

As a supervisor I work to promote a safe & supportive space for reflecting and exploring, relevant questioning & alternate perspectives, an ethical foundation for practice, discussion of ideas for further professional development, recognition that self-care, self-value and personal development are necessary in order to provide an effective client focussed service, a focus on what you need in order to best serve clients, self-awareness and a values based relationship with self and others. To maximise the benefits of supervision a question to ask beforehand might be: What discussions and material might I bring to supervision that would render the most benefit? I see supervision as necessary in order to respect ourselves and our clients’ wellbeing, growth, development and expansion.

The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.
– Helen Keller

 

Prior to becoming certified in counselling supervision, I acted in a support and education role in the animal welfare industry providing counselling coaching and supervision for animal welfare staff. In 2012 I completed a University of Auckland post graduate certificate in professional supervision and also commenced supervision with Post Graduate Counselling Students which I continue to do along with providing supervision for individuals and also agency staff involved in education and support work.

If you are interested and email me then I can provide a current schedule of fees and information.