Yvette SG Counselling – Central East Auckland counsellor for Children, Teens & Adults

• I offer an initial free no-obligation 15min call to check suitability
• My sessions are $160 per 50min session. I offer a sliding scale and accept WINZ subsidy where applicable.
• Payment by bank transfer must be made the day prior to our session

• Sessions are 50min long. This applies to all ages.
• For children, the session length can be adjusted depending on age and attention span.

Adults: This varies depending on your goals, the issues you want to work on, and what feels right for you. Some clients find a few sessions are enough, while others benefit from ongoing support. We’ll discuss a plan together that works for you and your budget.

Children: Children often need a few more sessions than adults. The pace is more active but slower therapeutically. Trust and rapport can sometimes take longer, and the therapeutic work itself is paced according to the child’s age and developmental stage.

We always begin with the not-so-exciting yet important paperwork such as your address and emergency contact details. We will discuss consent to counselling and confidentiality (age-appropriate for youth).

Adults: After the paperwork is complete, the rest of the session is about getting to know each other. We’ll talk about what’s brought you in, what you’re hoping for, and explore whether counselling with me feels like a good fit moving forward. You don’t need to know where to start or have all the answers; we go at your pace.

Children: The first session is an adult-only session with the caregiver/s to get an adult’s perspective on their child’s struggles. The second session is where I meet your child, ideally without you in the room, but only if they feel secure with this. Working with children requires a different approach, building trust and rapport at their own pace. Understanding their own struggles requires different methods; this is where creative fun and play come in. Children learning at their age and stage is paramount for therapeutic change to take place. It usually takes extra time and patience. At our first session, we will discuss a potential timeframe for how many sessions to expect.

Yes. What we discuss is private as per the New Zealand Association of Counsellors Code of Ethics that can be found here https://nzac.org.nz/site/about-us/code-of-ethics. Any notes I take are kept password-protected or in a locked filing cabinet. The only times I break confidentiality are if there is a risk of serious harm to yourself, children, or others. I would discuss my concerns with you first, wherever possible.

With children and teens, I work carefully to balance safety, trust, and parental knowledge.

If I see you outside of the counselling room, I will only acknowledge you if you acknowledge me first, you choose. Otherwise, I will not engage with you so.

Yes, I offer both online and in-person sessions. The fees are set no matter whether it is in-person or online. Online sessions are secure, private, and work well for adults and some teens. You will need to find a quiet room with a good Wi-Fi connection and no interruptions for the duration of our session. Video connection will be required.

Please note that In-person sessions allow for greater creative and hands-on approaches like art, craft, sand play, or music. We can still explore some of these elements online.

No referral is required – you can contact me directly. If you are attending through another service, school, or agency, I can coordinate with them as needed, while maintaining confidentiality.

Counselling children looks quite different from working with adults. Children often communicate through play, creativity, movement, and metaphor rather than long conversations. Sessions are age-appropriate and may include creative or play-based approaches (such as drawing, storytelling, or sand play) to help them safely express thoughts and feelings. Parents are not usually present during sessions, although I work collaboratively with caregivers where appropriate.

I tailor each session to suit your child’s personality, developmental stage, comprehension, and comfort level. My background includes university study in creative therapies and child and adolescent counselling, and I’ve worked with children for most of my life — from running an early childhood sports programme for tamariki aged 18 months to 7 years, to supporting neurodiverse girls aged 9–15 as a teacher’s aide, and counselling in primary and intermediate school settings. I am currently contracted to an NGO where I counsel children (and women) who are victims of domestic violence and teenagers who are offenders of violence.

I’m also a parent of three teenage boys (17,17, and 13), including a neurodiverse child. This lived experience deeply informs my understanding and strengthens my passion for supporting neurodiverse people and their whānau.

My goal is to create a space where children feel safe, understood, and empowered – not analysed or “fixed”.

Yes, I have a passion for and strong focus on supporting neurodiverse children, teens, and adults. Sessions are adapted to meet individual needs, preferences, and sensory comfort.

That’s completely normal. You don’t need to have all the words – my role is to guide, listen, and help you explore what matters. Silence, art, or movement can be part of the process as well.

Yes. I work respectfully and inclusively with people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions. My counselling approach is non-judgmental and affirming – you are welcome exactly as you are, even if you are not sure who you are.

Yes. I support women, men, and children who have experienced domestic violence, as well as teenagers and women who are taking accountability for the use of violence. All work is trauma-informed, confidential, and focused on safety and meaningful change. However, we will need to chat before meeting to assess the level of risk and whether you, or your child, are best suited with more extensive wraparound support either instead of or alongside me. If you are in any danger, please visit this site or call the police directly: https://www.police.govt.nz/advice/family-violence/help

Alongside my private practice, I work at an NGO that specialises in counselling and supporting children and women who have experienced domestic violence. I work with clients individually and in group settings. I also support teenagers and women who have perpetrated violence and wish to be accountable and better understand healthy relationships.

Yes. I aim to provide a safe, inclusive space for everyone, including Māori, Pasifika, neurodiverse clients, ethnic minorities, and other groups who may face discrimination. I work with people of all faiths, spiritualities, and belief systems. Counselling sessions focus on you and your values, not imposing any beliefs. My work is culturally sensitive and trauma-informed.

As a tangata Tiriti, I work in a way that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi, recognising the rights, perspectives, and wellbeing of Māori clients and Aotearoa. This means I integrate culturally safe practices, respect whānau and community connections, and ensure values and worldviews are considered throughout our work together.

Counselling can help with a wide range of issues. If you’re unsure, a short, no-obligation phone call can help you decide if we’re a good fit. If I feel you would be better suited with different services, then I will (and am ethically obliged to) direct you to those who might support you better.

I run my sessions from a counselling space attached to a residential address. It has its own side entry. There is plenty of parking on the quiet street. We have three counselling rooms, which include a waiting room on entry and a bathroom for client use.

Go to the How I Work page for photos of the room, entrance and waiting room. I will email you further details about entry in my correspondence with you.