Hannah Hawkins Elder

I am a registered clinical psychologist with experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and their families, both individually and in groups. I have previously worked in public health at both Child & Adolescent Mental Health and Child Development Services. I completed my training in Clinical Psychology via Victoria University of Wellington, as well as a Doctorate of Philosophy in Psychology focusing on theoretical models of mental disorder, particularly disordered eating. I believe that people make sense in context. Our struggles are intrinsically intertwined with the worlds we inhabit - being both impacted by what is and has occurred in our life and impacting how we engage with it moving forward. I am interested not only in the difficulties that bring people to therapy, but in understanding each person as a whole — their strengths, vulnerabilities, hopes, relationships, and the unique experiences that have shaped them. As someone who has experienced mental distress myself, I have a deep appreciation for the courage it takes to seek support and for the importance of being met in our distress with curiosity, compassion, and non-judgment. I believe that meaningful change begins when we feel safe enough to be seen and understood as we are and to share and be held in our distress. I aim to offer this to my clients and their whanau. I am gender-affirming and neuro-affirming in my practice and prioritise working alongside my clients in partnership rather than from a pedagogical lens. I draw on a range of evidence-based approaches as needed to create an individualised treatment plan that works for you. I am trained in CBT, ACT, DBT, parent training, and Single Session Family Consultation, as well as more recently in EMDR and Schema Therapy. I primarily work from an ACT and EMDR-based framework in my practice, always with view to considering an individual's systems and individual differences. I believe that therapy is not about changing who you are, but about helping you to understand yourself more deeply, develop the tools you need to navigate life’s challenges, and build a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling to you. I am available Wednesday-Friday and can conduct diagnostic assessments for autism and ADHD, as well as seeing therapy clients.