Robin Sutcliffe

Areas of Special Interest

• anxiety
• depression
• grief
• life transitions
• relationship issues
• self esteem and confidence

Counselling Services

I describe my practice as based on an integrated relational approach. What I mean by this is that I am primarily interested in listening deeply to you and your concerns and being in relationship with you in the here and now as you speak of these. I will draw on and share with you, different theoretical concepts and strategies when they seem relevant and useful to your unique situation.

I will also be interested in hearing from you often, how the process is going and what you are wanting so that I can be responsive to your feelings, experiences and ideas as they unfold.

Recent research into counselling effectiveness has shown that an approach that fits with the client’s ideas about change and what they think they need generally results in a better outcome (Duncan and Miller, 2001).

In my counselling and supervision practices and as a university teacher I have worked with diverse cultures, ages, sexual identities and life experiences.

Counselling  Approach

My initial training was in person-centred counselling and psychodrama followed by psychodynamic psychotherapy. I have also trained in Transactional Analysis (TA), Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and solution-focused brief therapy among other approaches. I am familiar also with Cognitive Behavioural Approaches and Narrative therapy.

I have recently re-engaged with psychodrama and am currently an advanced trainee with the Auckland Training Centre for Psychodrama.

Background and Experience

I have been practising as a psychotherapist and counsellor for over 30 years including nine years in a residential agency working with young people with mental health diagnoses. I have also worked in a community women and family agency as well as in private practice.

For ten years (2007- 17) I was a teacher and supervisor at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in various mental health; violence and trauma; and counselling programmes. My teaching role required me to be up to date with current research and other writing and developments in the counselling and therapy field and many of these ideas are also incorporated into my practice.

Supervision Services

I have been providing supervision to counsellors and mental health workers in a variety of agencies since 2000. I have a post-graduate diploma in clinical supervision from AUT which was based on a psychodynamic approach to supervision. See above for other modalities I have trained in.

My thesis for my Masters in Health Science focused on the supervision of mental health workers who work within a recovery and strengths-based paradigm and these concepts also contribute to my supervision practice and client work. I have a good grasp of some of the forces at play in the mental health sector, particularly NGOs.

I have supervised counsellors across all levels of experience from trainee counsellors working towards provisional membership of NZAC, those going through the full membership process and experienced counsellors.