Online Video Consultations

Catherine is one of our consultants in Havelock North and Hawkes Bay.

The training in sex therapy and relationship counselling that I am undertaking, is to ensure that I am effective and relevant when working alongside couples and individuals who are experiencing sexual challenges, relationship, and communication difficulties. As a sex therapist I support the ethos of sex positive, that is, having a positive attitude about sex and support my clients in their journey regarding sexual identity and sexual behaviours, and encouragement of healthy sexual relationships. I also have a particular interest working with individuals who are experiencing sexual and intimacy challenges or relationships difficulties due to medical conditions or impacted by oncology treatments. 

Having retrained as a Clinical Psychologist after years of working in the corporate and non-profit sector, I endeavour to deliver evidence-based therapy that is practical, and workable. Importantly I aim to deliver therapy in a way that clients feel they have a safe space where they feel heard, their concerns are not minimised, they can talk openly and freely without fear of judgement, shame, or awkwardness. This encourages a therapeutic relationship enabling us to work collaboratively and achieve therapeutic goals that will enhance client's day to day living and interpersonal relationships. Therapies and skills utilised include ACT, CBT, Compassion Focused Therapy, DBT, and have recently started training in EMDR.

My fee is $185.00 inc GST. Please also be aware that once made, appointments not kept or cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged.

Mary Hodson is our Central and Lower North Island Regional Director and one of our Senior Consultants

Apart from seeing you myself, my job as regional director and media spokesperson, is to answer any questions you may have and also, if required, to direct you to the therapist who is most suitable for your needs, We have eight excellent therapists operating in the central and lower North Island region  - 7 women and 1 man. We hope to have 2 more very soon.

I have been working with people with all kinds of sexuality concerns since 2005 when I completed advanced sex therapy training. I specialize in working with couples, or individuals, with emotional and sexual intimacy difficulties, differences in libido, or where sexual intimacy is complicated by illness or disability, or where one or both partners have a sexual addiction (now known as 'Out of Control sexual Behaviour or OCSB).

Although my approach to therapy is practical and goal driven, it is eclectic - psychodynamic with roots in attachment theory, the neurobiological and psychological effects of trauma and the development of unhelpful schema. It is all about resolving the issues that get in the way of a healthy sex life. 

I use the paid, professional version of zoom with the highest level of security, which ACC and our professional bodies approve to offer consultations across the country. It has many superior features, which means that we can protect your privacy and private information by -:

• Sending you a security password.
• Setting up a waiting room so that we can see that you are the only one in the waiting room before we allow you to join the meeting with the therapist.
• I can make it so that you have to sign in to the waiting room.
• Locking the meeting once we are both connected and then no-one else can enter or eavesdrop on the meeting.
• I do not record video or audio of the consultations unless a client specifically requests it, and then it would be saved on to the computer and not in the cloud.

I do already have a great deal of experience using Zoom, as there are many parts of New Zealand where there are no Sex Therapists, so several of us in the company provide a remote service for those people. It works well, isn’t usually affected by buffering and doesn’t drop out. It gives me the opportunity to provide a quality service and I feel the picture and sound are so clear that I can interact really well. I, personally, don’t believe the therapy is compromised, as long as I am sensible about the techniques and tools used.

I am a member of both the New Zealand Association of Counsellors and the World Association of Sexologists (Asia-Pacific region) and I am registered with the NZ Council for Educational Research.  

I worked in health and disability related fields since I registered as an occupational therapist in 1983. My early work was with couples that were struggling to cope with either alcohol abuse and its' attendant problems or serious physical disability, I also taught community based counselling courses in the Far North community.  Later, after studying psychology and the education of adults, at under and post graduate levels, I taught clinical sciences and clinical practice at the school of Occupational Therapy in Wellington and the National Certificate in Human Services at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

My fee is $195.00 per 50 minute session. Please also be aware that once made, appointments not kept or cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged.