Henriette Politano

I have worked with hundreds of different clients many of who have suffered intensely. I have enjoyed seeing how people can change their lives for the better and become more fulfilled and live with more peace and ease.

Need to be heard?

As a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Counsellor, I provide a sympathetic and confidential space where you can talk openly about what is troubling you.

Some people come for just a few sessions and that is all they need. Others remain with a therapist for anything from a few months to a year or more. Some clients come to therapy for personal development, or as something like a “health check”. Some come when they are dealing with a crisis in their life and others want to engage in deep and extensive psychotherapy. Some people engage in psychotherapy as a way of learning about themselves. Others want to voice deep thoughts around spiritual issues, the meaning of life, fears and dreams, aspirations, longings and sorrows. Some come with family issues, work and career matters, bereavement or simply something where a confidential and neutral listener can be helpful.

It really depends on your goal; whether it is to deal with a specific problem or to free yourself from patterns which limit your ability to enjoy life to the full. I am here to offer the space for you to explore and find your own rhythm of life – fulfilled, satisfied, nourishing and soul-restoring.

Privacy is essential when dealing with sensitive therapy issues. I work with the utmost discretion, ethics and high regard for your confidentiality and privacy.

Ultimately happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discontent of being ruled by them.
– Yongey Mingur Rinpoche

Our joint work can support you to:

• Live life to the full
• Liberate yourself from Depression
• Get support to get through your grief
• Eliminate the stress – live a balanced life
• Do you want more for you and from life
• Create new choices for your life
• Feel comfortable within your skin. Heal old wounds
• Make positive changes in your overall life
• Know, hear and trust yourself
• Grow in self-acceptance and subsequently self-care
• Let go of outdated habits that don’t serve any longer
• Listening to and following your heart
• Understand the places that feel painful and where you might be stuck
• Live a fulfilling, satisfying and nourishing life

How I work

Counselling and Psychotherapy

I offer a warm, collaborative and relational approach promoting personal growth and self-understanding. I aim to create a safe space for you to explore, share and understand your thoughts and feelings. I will support you to gain a clear understanding of your areas of pain, frustration and challenge and will approach our dialogue with compassion and honesty. We will decide together which therapeutic approach is the most suitable and I will personalise each session towards you, your issues and what you want to achieve.

I will provide challenge when it is helpful. I see myself as walking alongside you, but my goal is to strengthen your resilience and reconnect you with your own resources. My intention is to create a healing environment from which to explore and discover your own self-empowerment. Most importantly I am passionate about helping people discover or restore their own wellbeing of heart, mind and body.

I work with individuals and couples of all cultures, religions, genders and sexual orientations.

Animal-assisted Psychotherapy

In my private and secluded practice near Mapua you have the choice of including my canine assistant in sessions. She is a gentle, serene and loving two year old female Maremma and still in training. The presence of a loving dog can have a stabilizing and calming effect, especially for clients who are nervous. Animals are used in therapy because they can help people relax, minimize stress, and offer a sense of safety and unconditional acceptance that puts therapy clients at ease.

Walk-Talk Therapy

Some people find this a more relaxed approach than sitting opposite the therapist. Being physically active can help you to get “unstuck” when confronting difficult issues and it can spur creative and deeper ways of thinking. The healing power of nature can be a significant resource for some people.

Approaches and Therapies

In our work together I can draw on approaches including: Psychodynamic Therapy, Transactional Analysis (TA), Hakomi Somatic Psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing®, Imago Relationship Therapy. We will decide together which therapeutic approach is the most suitable and I will personalise each session towards you, your issues and what you want to achieve.

Hakomi Psychotherapy

Hakomi is a gentle yet powerful method of assisted self-study, discovery and emotional healing. Based on a trust that everyone has the inner wisdom and power for self-healing, the Hakomi method of psychotherapy is based upon the five principles of mindfulness, nonviolence, organicity, unity, body-mind-spirit-holism and loving presence … more

Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Therapy

Somatic Experiencing® is a potent psychobiological method for resolving trauma symptoms and relieving chronic stress. It resets the nervous system, restores inner balance, enhances resilience to stress, and increases people’s vitality, equanimity and capacity to actively engage in life … more

iRest Yoga Nidra®

Integrative Restoration / iRest Yoga Nidra® is an evidence-based mind/body approach to health, healing, and well-being. You will be guided through a variety of internal focal points, personal inquiries, and explorations of your direct experience in order to discern and develop what is true and beneficial for you … more

Imago Relationship Therapy

Congratulations to your courage and curiosity in exploring Relationship Therapy! When working with me and Imago you can expect to develop communication skills that enable each of you to truly hear and understand your partner, helping you develop a more genuine, connected, loving and passionate relationship … more

Intimacy

Intimacy is probably one of the most misunderstood concepts in relationships. While intimacy may include or lead to a better sexual relationship, it involves much more. Intimacy consists of an entire way of being, acting and thinking. It is a place where both partners are willing to commit to each other, be vulnerable, and trust. In an intimate relationship both partners understand each other while simultaneously feeling understood … more

Trauma

Trauma is a fact of life, but does not have to be a life sentence (Peter Levine). Trauma falls into two classifications – shock trauma and developmental trauma. They can overlap or occur separately and can have many different faces, including resulting in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Duration and approach to treatment between shock and developmental trauma are different … more

About Henriette

During my “first adult life” I pursued an industrial career and worked as an Export Director. This involved extensive international travel to build partnerships and to mentor associates. During my “second adult life” I chose personal freedom and spent six years circumnavigating on a yacht which ultimately brought me to New Zealand. I learned to know and love Pacific Island cultures, values and ways of life.

Now, in my “third adult life” I am as passionate about empowering my clients as I have been about anything I have done previously. I have undergone my own personal therapy and through this experienced a great enrichment of life.