Svenja Koeslich

I have been working in private practice, the public mental health sector, and for other government organisations for over 10 years. Originally, I am from the harbour city, Hamburg, in the Northern hemisphere; I arrived on the shores of Aotearoa New Zealand in 2003. Initially, I was drawn to the snowy mountains of Te Wāi Pounamu, where I enjoyed snowboarding and completed my degrees in Social Work and Psychology at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha / The University of Canterbury.

In 2013, after my studies, some earthquakes, and gaining a few years work experience I moved to Tāmaki Makaurau, where I enjoy spending time by the sea.

It is a privilege to support people from different walks of life through some of their darkest times. I am evermore grateful to all the people who have allowed me to share part of their journey and who have taught me so much about overcoming adversities and the strengths of humanity.

Expertise

I work with young people, adults, parents and couples from diverse cultural and social backgrounds. I am passionate about supporting people to overcome past psychological trauma and adverse life experiences. My specialist area of interest includes memory and trauma reprocessing to allow people to fulfil their potential and live their best lives.

My clinical experience includes working in the public mental health service and leading a comprehensive adolescent Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) team, providing supervision to other Psychologists, working in private practice, providing trauma focused therapy under the ACC ISSC contract, and working in the child care and protection sector for many years.

Therapy Approaches

I use a holistic and evidence-based treatment approaches to meet the unique challenges my clients face. My therapeutic approaches include Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Schema therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT.)

I work with clients who may be struggling with anxiety, stress, depression or trauma related to events, relationships or family context. During our initial sessions, we will develop a shared understanding of how things came to be this way and create a plan for addressing them and support you in maintaining a fulfilling life.

Qualifications

• BSW (Hons)
• MEd ChFamPsyc
• PG Dip ChFamPsyc 
• PG Dip CBT

Affiliations

• Registered with the New Zealand Psychologists Board
• Member of the New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPS)
• Member of EMDR Association of New Zealand (EMDRNZ)
• Member of EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA)
• Member of New Zealand Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy (NZCEFT)
• Member of International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
• Registered Test User Qualification Level C (Psych) – New Zealand Council for Educational Research
• Registered ACC provider for Integrated Services for Sensitive Claims (ISSC) and Physical Injuries

Work Hours

Svenja is available for online appointments on Mondays and Tuesdays between 9am and 2.30pm during school terms.