Christchurch Therapist
Integrative Therapy for Body, Mind & Soul
A holistic approach to therapy that honours your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual self.
Feel confident in who you are so you can start living the life you want and deserve.
We all develop patterns to help us cope with life’s challenges. While these strategies often serve us for a time, they can also keep us stuck, repeating old ways of thinking, feeling, or relating.
In our work together, we gently explore these patterns with curiosity and compassion. This process helps you reconnect with your authentic self and uncover what no longer supports your growth.
When difficulties arise, they can become powerful invitations to pause, reflect, and realign. Through this work, you create space for clarity, confidence, and a more grounded, fulfilling life.
A Holistic Practice Where No Judgement is Passed
Get to know Julie
Julie brings professionalism, warmth, insight, and compassion to her work, offering a grounded presence and a deep respect for each person’s unique path.
Whether you’re navigating trauma, stress, grief, relationship struggles, or just feeling stuck, Julie meets you where you are, with no judgment, and a commitment to helping you reconnect with your inner strength and wisdom.
Supportive and empowering therapy to help you overcome obstacles and forge a new path forward.
Weaving 35 Years of Experience into Deep, Soulful & Embodied Transformation
Julie’s work began over 35 years ago in the corporate world, supporting individuals and teams in training and personnel development. Being faced with the challenges of ill physical health, she was drawn to explore deeper mind, body & spiritual-based healing. This led to formal training in holistic, somatic, and psychotherapeutic modalities.
Her approach blends the intuitive with the grounded, the spiritual with the scientific, offering a space that honors your whole self.
Areas of Focus & Practice
- Gestalt Psychotherapy (including psychodynamic therapy, psychotherapy, and the interface between psychotherapy and psychiatry).
- Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR).
- Somatic awareness and body-based processing.
- Mindfulness-based support.
- Nervous system regulation.
- Emotional and relational trauma – PTSD.
- Personal growth, life transitions, and meaning-making.
- Supporting people reconnect with their authentic selves.
- Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT/Tapping).
- Energy psychology.
- Journey work (Brandon Bays).
- Holistic living counselling and coaching.
How We'll Work Together
1. Initial Phone Call
A complimentary 15 min chat to see if we’re a good fit.
We’ll talk about what brings you here, answer any questions, and explore what support could look like.
2. Scheduling a Consultation
Understanding who you are and what matters to you.
We begin by understanding you, not just your history. Often, what naturally arises in our early conversations provides the insight and context we need to create a thoughtful path forward and begin our meaningful work together.
3. Setting Intentions
We get clear on what you want out of this.
Together, we’ll define the type of support that best suits you, from short-term solutions to deeper, ongoing work, and determine the most effective ways to help you achieve lasting success.
4. Ongoing Sessions
Support that meets you where you're at.
We’ll usually meet fortnightly, with space in between to reflect and integrate. You’ll have guidance without pressure, and room to grow at your own pace.
Different Options To Suit Different Locations
Whether you are local in Christchurch or Woodend, are in a different part of New Zealand, or are halfway around the other side of the world – we can figure out a means of working together.
All consultations are available via video call, phone call, or in person at my office in Christchurch Central or Woodend. Consultations are to be during NZ working hours only.
Hear What Other Clients Have To Say
Have Questions?
Where do you offer your services?
I offer services online via video call and phone calls. I also have an office in Christchurch and Woodend for in person visits if preferred.
What is Gestalt Psychotherapy?
In Gestalt therapy, we work with what’s emerging in the here and now – not just telling the story of what happened, but noticing how it lives in the present moment. This may show up through body sensations, emotions, relational dynamics, or unfinished experiences that seek completion.
Gestalt is experiential and relational. We attend to how you are in the world, not just what happened to you.
At the heart of the work is the therapeutic relationship itself. Healing happens not just through insight, but through being seen, met, and responded to differently – in a safe, attuned, and real relationship. As a Gestalt therapist, I don’t sit behind a blank screen; I bring presence, authenticity, and curiosity as we explore your experience together.
What kinds of concerns or issues do people usually come to you with?
People often come to me navigating stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, trauma, or simply feeling stuck or disconnected from themselves. Others are seeking a deeper self-understanding, personal growth, or support through life transitions. It’s about where you are right now and what you’re hoping to move toward.
What's the difference between life coaching and the holistic therapy that you offer?
While both support growth, life coaching focuses on goals, performance, and future action, often without addressing deeper emotional wounds or patterns.
My holistic therapy weaves in coaching elements but goes further: we co-create a process that’s a true vehicle for change, exploring what’s present now and how it may be rooted in past experiences or beliefs.
This work integrates mind, body, and soul – helping you heal what’s unresolved so you can move forward from a more grounded, authentic place.
Do I have to be ready to talk about everything right away?
Not at all. Therapy with me isn’t about unpacking your whole history in the first session. We let things emerge at a pace that feels right, building trust and safety so that together we can explore what’s most important when you’re ready.
How long will I need to come for therapy?
This truly varies for each person. Some clients come for a handful of sessions to work through something specific; others choose longer-term work as part of ongoing growth and transformation. We’ll clarify your needs and intentions early on, and continue to reassess together.
I’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t help. How might this be different?
Many people come to me after experiences elsewhere that felt too rushed, surface-level, or didn’t quite “fit.” My approach is gentle, deeply attuned, and honors the layers of who you are. Together, we co-create a process that respects your pace, values, and personal journey.
Will you give me tools or practices to use outside of sessions?
Yes – where helpful, I often share simple techniques for nervous system regulation, mindfulness, or body awareness that you can explore between sessions. This supports integration and empowers you to increase your self-awareness in your daily life.
Is this work right for me if I’m not spiritual (or if I am)?
Absolutely. Spirituality means so many different things to many people. For some, it can mean nature, reflection, and contemplation; for others, it can be more formal. This process is always tailored to what resonates for you – there’s no requirement to believe in or practice anything in particular.
What happens if difficult emotions come up?
That’s a natural part of this work, and you won’t face it alone. I hold a safe, compassionate space to explore whatever arises, at your own pace, helping you process emotions without judgment so you can move forward with greater clarity and ease.