What I offer
Family Counselling
Sometimes a family goes through something that affects every member differently — a separation, a bereavement, a change that nobody quite chose. Everyone is carrying it. Nobody is carrying it in quite the same way. And the gap between them keeps widening.
Family counselling is about closing that gap — carefully, at the pace the family actually needs.
How I work
A Wide Range of Experiences
I work flexibly — with family members together, separately, or in a combination of both, depending on what the situation calls for. There is no fixed structure. We begin by understanding what is happening for each person, and work from there.
My approach is attachment-informed throughout. I look at the bonds between people — where they are strong, where they have been strained, and what needs to happen for trust and safety to be rebuilt.
"All relationship distress is, at its root, an attachment story. My work is to help you understand yours — and write a better one."
Sabrina Barbara
THE PROCESS
What Working Together Looks Like
Who It's For
Families navigating any of the following:
Separation — where the impact on children and the wider family system needs attention
Bereavement — where a loss has affected the whole family and people are grieving differently
A child or young person who is struggling and the family wants to understand why
Estrangement or distance between a parent and child that has developed over time
Any significant transition where the family has lost its footing
What to Expect
Family sessions are 75 minutes. We begin with a free 20-minute Zoom call to understand the situation and decide together how to approach the work. Sessions are via Zoom, with in-person available in Wellington and Hawke's Bay.
"A child who is acting out is almost always a child who hasn't yet found a way to say: I'm not okay. And a child who has gone very quiet is often saying exactly the same thing. That's where we start."
Sabrina Barbara
A Note on Separation
I have particular experience with families navigating separation — where children and parents are often experiencing the same event in completely different ways, and nobody quite knows how to reach each other. If this is your situation, I can work with family members together or separately, and can help each person find language for what they are carrying.
If you're going through a separation and need help with parenting arrangements, or dispute resolution visit TheMediationRoom.nz.