Mary Grant

Therapy Services

I have over 20 years experience as a psychotherapist, including working at the Waitakere Sexual Abuse Centre and Parent Help. I have had a private practice in Ponsonby since 1994.

My specialty areas are anxiety and depression, stress, life transitions, adjusting to physical illness and aging. I also see clients experiencing other difficulties, including relationship issues, trauma, and effects of sexual abuse.

I am an experienced supervisor of counsellors, psychotherapists and other health professionals.

The comment clients most often make is that I am sincere and trustworthy. They feel safe with me walking alongside them through difficult times, and helping them to find much better ways to live their lives.

 

Counselling for Stress and Life Transitions

Too much stress reduces our ability to problem solve and take the action necessary to make useful changes. I am skilled at helping people, who are feeling stressed and stuck, look outside of the box they have found themselves in. Most clients find that in four or five sessions they are feeling more positive and much better able to deal with what life is throwing at them.

Counselling for Physical Illness and Aging

One of my specialities is combining my nursing knowledge with my psychotherapy skills, to help people who are struggling with the effects of physical illness or aging. Over the years I have worked with many people with cancer, diabetes, and other physical illnesses. While it’s true that I can’t take their illness away, what my clients appreciate is having a place where they can be completely themselves – they don’t need to protect me from what they are feeling. This means they can talk freely and fully about what is concerning them, something that isn’t always possible with family and friends. This freedom to explore and process everything about their situation means it is much easier for my clients to come to terms with their illness, to grieve it’s limitations, and find new ways to live a fulfilling life alongside it. This is as useful for an older person adjusting to being less agile, as it is for a young person learning to manage a chronic illness such as diabetes.

Psychotherapy for Anxiety and Depression

Clients suffering with anxiety and depression find me easy to talk to and find hope that change is possible. I help clients develop strategies to manage the anxiety and depression in their day to day world, and also work through the underlying issues that generated them. People who come to me with their lives restricted by anxiety or depression find it no longer stops them from doing living. They become able to do things like, get out of the house, apply for a new job, or simply ask a friend to meet for coffee.

Supervision of Health Practitioners

I provide clinical supervision for all health professionals including nurses, counsellors and psychotherapists. Supervisees report feeling safe and nurtured, as I provide a developmentally appropriate blend of advice, support to find their own answers, and challenges to learn.