Our therapists

Based throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, Kenzie’s Gift therapists are all registered mental health professionals who are specialists in working with tamariki / children and mātātahi / young people and their whānau.

Our therapists

Meet our therapists

Kenzie's Gift services are free and are designed to improve the emotional well-being and good mental health of tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people and their whānau affected by serious illness or grief.

We offer up to 12 fully funded 1-on-1 therapy sessions with our Clinical Psychologists and Psychotherapists, who are all well experienced working with tamariki / children and mātātahi / young people and their whānau. Our services are available across Aotearoa New Zealand, and you can meet our therapists below.

Cheska Hadleigh
Registered Clinical Psychologist, Auckland

Currently in private practice, Cheska has worked for over 20 years in a variety of settings. Her session focus is on supporting tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people and families through serious illness, mate pukupuku / cancer and bereavement.

Read more
Angela Shaw
Registered Psychotherapist, Auckland

Angela’s particular areas of interest are grief and loss, relationship difficulties, anxiety and depression, maternal mental health, fertility issues and secondary infertility. She offers the opportunity to explore the connections between the current griefs and difficulties and usual ways of coping.

Read more
Bernice Gabriel
Registered Counselling Psychologist, Napier

Bernice is a South African psychologist, based in Hawke’s Bay, who has 20 years’ experience working in child and adolescent mental health. She has assessment and therapeutic skills (individual and group) in a broad range of mental health, behavioural and parent-child relationship interventions and therapies.

Read more
Bronwyn Alleyne
Registered Psychotherapist, Auckland

Bronwyn has worked extensively both in private practice and in hospice and bereavement settings for the last 10 years. She has a passion for helping individuals and couples facing life-threatening illness, companioning the dying and supporting the bereaved.

Read more
Caryl Huzziff
Registered Clinical Psychologist, New Plymouth

Caryl is based in New Plymouth and has over 20 years’ experience in a variety of settings. She has particular interests in anxiety, mood challenges, and parent work and therapy styles include Cognitive Behavioural (CBT) and Acceptance Commitment (ACT).

Read more
David Stebbing
Registered Psychologist, Auckland

David has over 17 years’ experience in the treatment of a range of psychological problems affecting tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people, adults, couples and families. Although he has a very diverse practice, he has a particular interest in the areas of grief and loss.

Read more
Emily Peterson
Registered Psychologist, Auckland

Emily has worked in the private sector since 2013 where she specialises in working with tamariki / children, adolescents and young adults. She has training and experience in a variety of evidence-based therapies, including cognitive behaviour therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy.

Read more
Freyja Mann
Clinical Psychologist, Invercargill

Freyja is a Registered Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years’ experience working in mental health. She’s passionate about actively promoting psychological ideas among the community to improve the wellbeing of families.

Read more
Georgia Cowan
Registered Clinical Psychologist, Dunedin

Georgia has a passion for supporting tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people and whānau through life's challenges. She strives to ensure all involved feel supported and empowered throughout the process.

Read more
Glenn Lucini
Registered Clinical Psychologist, Auckland

Glenn is a registered clinical psychologist with over 13 years’ experience. He specialises in working with tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people, and families. Glenn also provides various specialist psychological assessments.

Read more
Jasmine Mullen
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Auckland

Jasmine works therapeutically with tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people, and whānau with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, behavioural and emotional difficulties, or with those who are having trouble in relationships.

Read more
Jenhai Weeding
Child and Family Therapist, Waikato

Jenhai began her career working with tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people and their families in a variety of settings after training as a social worker and in counselling in the 1990s. She then went on to train as a play therapist at York University in the UK.

Read more
Jo Doyle
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Christchurch

Jo has worked in Christchurch as a registered Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist since 1996. She specialises in working with tamariki / children and their families who have experienced trauma and loss, including working with teenagers who are suffering from anxiety and depression.

Read more
Joanne Bruce
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Tauranga

Joanne has been working with tamariki / children and their families in distress for many years. She uses play-based therapy to help tamariki / children express themselves and their inner world. She also sees tamariki / children and their mātua / parents and caregivers for attachment therapy.

Read more
Kerry Charlesworth
Registered Psychologist, Orewa

Kerry has a passion for helping individuals’ holistic health and well-being and providing a safe space to talk. She understands every client is individual and tailors her sessions accordingly, while utilising research-based therapy.

Read more
Melanie Gilbert-De Rios
Registered Social Worker / Certified Child Centred Play and Filial Family Therapist, Tauranga

Melanie is passionate about supporting tamariki / children and their families and enhancing parent-child / whānau relationships through difficult times and challenges. Melanie has over 25 years’ experience in social services and the health sector.

Read more
Nicola Jackson
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Auckland

Nicola specialises in helping infants, tamariki / children and adolescents who are experiencing challenging feelings and behaviours. She welcomes all mātātahi / young people and their whānau including those from the neuro-diverse, rainbow, twice-exceptional and other non-dominant communities.

Read more
Seonaigh Stevens
Registered Child, Adolescent and Family Psychotherapist, Lower Hutt

Seonaigh works with infants, tamariki / children, adolescents and mātua / parents and caregivers. Her work encompasses grief and loss, particularly within families. Advocating for tamariki / children, she supports families to optimise their relationships and works with tamariki / children in play.

Read more
Simon Hall
Registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Christchurch

Simon has over 25 years’ experience working with tamariki / children and their families in Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK. His clinical experience includes work with a wide range of clinical presentations in tamariki / children and mātātahi / young people, including trauma and loss.

Read more
Tara McGeough
Registered Psychologist, Taupo

Tara qualified as a counselling Psychologist in Ireland in 2000. With over 20 years’ experience, she has worked in a variety of different settings, including with adult survivors of childhood abuse, Specialist Behaviour Services with Te Mahau (Ministry of Education), and more.

Read more
Veronica Watt
Registered Psychotherapist, Child and Family Therapist, Auckland

Veronica has worked with tamariki / children, adolescents, adults, couples, groups and families for many years in both Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK. Her professional interest areas are adolescence, parent-child relationships, whānau systems, negotiating transitions, separation and loss, abuse and trauma, and couple work.

Read more
Cheska Hadleigh
Registered Clinical Psychologist, Auckland

Currently in private practice, Cheska has worked for over 20 years in a variety of settings. Her session focus is on supporting tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people and families through serious illness, mate pukupuku / cancer and bereavement.

Read more
Angela Shaw
Registered Psychotherapist, Auckland

Angela’s particular areas of interest are grief and loss, relationship difficulties, anxiety and depression, maternal mental health, fertility issues and secondary infertility. She offers the opportunity to explore the connections between the current griefs and difficulties and usual ways of coping.

Read more
Bernice Gabriel
Registered Counselling Psychologist, Napier

Bernice is a South African psychologist, based in Hawke’s Bay, who has 20 years’ experience working in child and adolescent mental health. She has assessment and therapeutic skills (individual and group) in a broad range of mental health, behavioural and parent-child relationship interventions and therapies.

Read more
Bronwyn Alleyne
Registered Psychotherapist, Auckland

Bronwyn has worked extensively both in private practice and in hospice and bereavement settings for the last 10 years. She has a passion for helping individuals and couples facing life-threatening illness, companioning the dying and supporting the bereaved.

Read more
Caryl Huzziff
Registered Clinical Psychologist, New Plymouth

Caryl is based in New Plymouth and has over 20 years’ experience in a variety of settings. She has particular interests in anxiety, mood challenges, and parent work and therapy styles include Cognitive Behavioural (CBT) and Acceptance Commitment (ACT).

Read more
David Stebbing
Registered Psychologist, Auckland

David has over 17 years’ experience in the treatment of a range of psychological problems affecting tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people, adults, couples and families. Although he has a very diverse practice, he has a particular interest in the areas of grief and loss.

Read more
Emily Peterson
Registered Psychologist, Auckland

Emily has worked in the private sector since 2013 where she specialises in working with tamariki / children, adolescents and young adults. She has training and experience in a variety of evidence-based therapies, including cognitive behaviour therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy.

Read more
Freyja Mann
Clinical Psychologist, Invercargill

Freyja is a Registered Clinical Psychologist with over 10 years’ experience working in mental health. She’s passionate about actively promoting psychological ideas among the community to improve the wellbeing of families.

Read more
Georgia Cowan
Registered Clinical Psychologist, Dunedin

Georgia has a passion for supporting tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people and whānau through life's challenges. She strives to ensure all involved feel supported and empowered throughout the process.

Read more
Glenn Lucini
Registered Clinical Psychologist, Auckland

Glenn is a registered clinical psychologist with over 13 years’ experience. He specialises in working with tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people, and families. Glenn also provides various specialist psychological assessments.

Read more
Jasmine Mullen
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Auckland

Jasmine works therapeutically with tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people, and whānau with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, behavioural and emotional difficulties, or with those who are having trouble in relationships.

Read more
Jenhai Weeding
Child and Family Therapist, Waikato

Jenhai began her career working with tamariki / children, mātātahi / young people and their families in a variety of settings after training as a social worker and in counselling in the 1990s. She then went on to train as a play therapist at York University in the UK.

Read more
Jo Doyle
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Christchurch

Jo has worked in Christchurch as a registered Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist since 1996. She specialises in working with tamariki / children and their families who have experienced trauma and loss, including working with teenagers who are suffering from anxiety and depression.

Read more
Joanne Bruce
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Tauranga

Joanne has been working with tamariki / children and their families in distress for many years. She uses play-based therapy to help tamariki / children express themselves and their inner world. She also sees tamariki / children and their mātua / parents and caregivers for attachment therapy.

Read more
Kerry Charlesworth
Registered Psychologist, Orewa

Kerry has a passion for helping individuals’ holistic health and well-being and providing a safe space to talk. She understands every client is individual and tailors her sessions accordingly, while utilising research-based therapy.

Read more
Melanie Gilbert-De Rios
Registered Social Worker / Certified Child Centred Play and Filial Family Therapist, Tauranga

Melanie is passionate about supporting tamariki / children and their families and enhancing parent-child / whānau relationships through difficult times and challenges. Melanie has over 25 years’ experience in social services and the health sector.

Read more
Nicola Jackson
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Auckland

Nicola specialises in helping infants, tamariki / children and adolescents who are experiencing challenging feelings and behaviours. She welcomes all mātātahi / young people and their whānau including those from the neuro-diverse, rainbow, twice-exceptional and other non-dominant communities.

Read more
Seonaigh Stevens
Registered Child, Adolescent and Family Psychotherapist, Lower Hutt

Seonaigh works with infants, tamariki / children, adolescents and mātua / parents and caregivers. Her work encompasses grief and loss, particularly within families. Advocating for tamariki / children, she supports families to optimise their relationships and works with tamariki / children in play.

Read more
Simon Hall
Registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Christchurch

Simon has over 25 years’ experience working with tamariki / children and their families in Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK. His clinical experience includes work with a wide range of clinical presentations in tamariki / children and mātātahi / young people, including trauma and loss.

Read more
Tara McGeough
Registered Psychologist, Taupo

Tara qualified as a counselling Psychologist in Ireland in 2000. With over 20 years’ experience, she has worked in a variety of different settings, including with adult survivors of childhood abuse, Specialist Behaviour Services with Te Mahau (Ministry of Education), and more.

Read more
Veronica Watt
Registered Psychotherapist, Child and Family Therapist, Auckland

Veronica has worked with tamariki / children, adolescents, adults, couples, groups and families for many years in both Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK. Her professional interest areas are adolescence, parent-child relationships, whānau systems, negotiating transitions, separation and loss, abuse and trauma, and couple work.

Read more

Need some support?

If you and your whānau are affected by serious illness or grief, talk to us to see how we can help