jo batts COUNSELLING
How are you?
Really.
Welcome. Not as you should be. Just as you are.
Right here, right now, today.
In today's world, there is no shortage of advice on how to live your best life. We're constantly bombarded with tips and tricks from an information-rich, consumer-driven culture. Yet, despite all this, we sometimes find ourselves struggling with aspects of our lives - be it our relationships, our circumstances or our thinking.
If you find yourself struggling, you are not alone.
It's time to talk.
When life gets challenging, many of us are taught to stand strong, suck it up and tough it out. Yet what we really need is the support of someone who cares to help us navigate difficult circumstances and to find courage, hope, and healing.
Many of us want our life to be better but don’t know where or how to start. Well, you have come to the right place and can start your journey today.
welcome
about me
My approach to therapy is based on practical real-life experience and a pragmatic style of listening without judgment.
I bring a holistic approach to my work with clients, this includes working with the mind, body, emotions, spirituality, family, and relationships. As a Registered Counsellor (NZAC) with Post Graduate qualifications, continual Professional Development and Supervision, I am committed to ethical best practice.
I am passionate about enabling people to walk through their own challenges with courage, knowledge and support. My hope is for you to thrive in your own life again.
jo
We've all heard that a "perfect relationship" is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other. But the reality is that maintaining a healthy relationship can be tough at times. Relationships are precious, and if you're feeling pressure or struggling with communication, it might be time to seek some support.
I'm here to help you gain the tools you need to build a more fufulling relationship. Whether you're experiencing difficulties right now or just want to be proactive in maintaining a strong connection, let's talk. Together, we can work to strengthen your relationship and help you and your partner thrive.
relationship counselling
Remember when communication with your partner was easy and effortless? It's common for that connection to fade over time, and it can be easy to blame our partner for the loss of connection. But the reality is that poor communication is often the culprit.
Instead of talking with each other, we end up talking at each other, and that's a recipe for disaster. But the good news is that effective communication is a skill that can be learned. While the tools for communication are simple, they do require us to try something different.
If you're tired of feeling unheard and disconnected in your relationship, it's time to try something new. With the right tools and guidance, we can work together to improve your communication skills and find your way back to feeling loved and connected.
tools for communication
processing anger
We are not born angry. Anger is a powerful emotion that we learn, normally when we are young, to protect ourselves and express ourselves. We use anger to avoid pain, because it often feels better to be ‘angry and strong’ than to feel hurt or upset.
We don’t get angry about the things we don’t care about. So anger is often a pretty good indication that something important to us is not going well. The trouble is, anger does not help us. It destroys our relationships, our society and even ourselves. Getting free of anger is possible, it requires learning new ways to communicate and to let go of old ways that are not working. Make a decision for change today.
How do you feel about your feelings? Whether we like it or not, our feelings play a vital role in our wellbeing, our health, and our relationships. For some of us, our feelings seem to run the show and for others, we have never even given our emotions a moments attention. We might even be a little afraid of what might happen if we even dared to engage with our emotions.
In therapy we learn to work with our emotions, instead of pushing against them. By giving ourselves permission to truly experience our emotions, all of them, we can dramatically improve the quality of our lives and our relationships. Let's talk.
feeling the feelings
grief, loss & sadness
Grief is a healthy response to a painful reality. It is not an enemy or a sign of weakness, but a sign of being human. We cannot simply 'get over it', rather it takes time to grieve in your own unique way.
Times of grief might be confusing and overwhelming ... you may feel isolated and be facing a range of emotions you’ve never encountered before. I encourage you to journey through grief with a trusted therapist, let's talk ...
break-up recovery
When a relationship ends it feels like our world is ending with it. Our intimate partner, the person we trusted for closeness and comfort, is now the source of our pain and distress. When our heart breaks into a million pieces and our mind is overwhelmed with questions, we need the support of friends and family and a solid plan to get through the hard days and look ahead to the future.
Healing takes time and counselling is a safe place to start. You don't need to do this alone, start your healing journey today.
faith, church & spirituality
For some, church is a place of genuine growth, connection, and community. For others, it is a place of deep hurt, shame and isolation. It can be difficult, at times, to navigate our experience of faith with our experience of the church and people.
If you are stuck in a difficult place with your faith or your church; here is your invitation to embark on a deeper journey toward healing and transformation. Take the time to connect with your authentic self, to find true self-acceptance and to cultivate a spiritual practice that is less about proving that you are ‘good enough’ and more about simply being 'enough'.
stress, anxiety & resilience
When unexpected change comes along, how do you respond? Do you freeze up with fear or do you open your other hand to seize a new opportunity? Change, whether it's a change of job, city, life stage or circumstance, can be uncomfortable and have us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, alone, angry or afraid. The good news is that we all have a huge natural supply of resilience. If stress and anxiety is getting in the way of you enjoying your life, let's talk ..
self esteem, identity & family
We didn't get to choose our parents, our families, or the way we were raised. Yet our family profoundly shapes who we are. Navigating the transition between our family of origin and our adult identity can be challenging. Our family, whether we like it or not, affects the way we do relationships, manage our money, the career we choose, etc. If you feel stuck in your life or relationships, and you want to explore your unique identity, let's talk ...
One of the most powerful insights you can have in your life is to discover your unique talents and strengths. We assume that everyone is just 'normal' like us when nothing could be further from the truth. Strength coaching is a process of discovering what is right about you, focusing on what is strong instead of what is wrong with you.
A strengths consultation will help you make sense of your personality, your role and your relationships. If you are wanting to find out your unique contribution to the world. let's get started.
Strengths coaching
Strengths for teens
We encourage our kids to just "be yourself" but even for adults, it takes us decades to truly work that out. The teenage years are an intense time of self-discovery. The Strengths assessment is a powerful evidence-based process of revealing natural talent. By focusing on Strengths, we focus on what is ‘right’ with your young person which gives them language to see themselves with greater clarity and confidence.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that this is one of the greatest gifts you could give your young person as they set out into their future. For a Strengths coaching session, let’s talk.
qualifications
Registered Counsellor (New Zealand Association of Counsellors)
PG Dip. Counselling Theory (Auckland University)
Bachelor of Counselling
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy – Externship & Core Skills 1 & 2
Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy
Internal Family Systems informed (IFS informed)
Gottman Institute - Emotion Coach
Restorative Justice Facilitator (contracted to Ministry of Justice)
Living without Violence programme facilitator
Infidelity & Betrayal Trauma
Sex Therapy
Family Therapy
Interactive Drawing Therapy
Meditation & Mindfulness
Gallup Strengths Coach
"We can't thank you enough for helping us through our differences. We have the tools now to communicate better together".
"Thank you, thank you, thank you Jo for all you've done for us this year. You're a wonder. We wouldn't have made it without you!!"
"I was really worried about coming to counselling but you made it feel like a really easy conversation. It felt like you really understood but with no judgement".
prices
individual session
$160 | one hour
relationship session
$185 | one hour
strengths session
$ 160 | individual
$ 185 | relationship
urgent care
Counselling is only available within scheduled therapy sessions.
Counselling is not an immediate-response or crisis service so if you need emergency support please contact your local GP or one of the below organisations.
1737 (text)
Mental Health Foundation helplines & support
Or in case of emergency dial 111 or go to your nearest hospital or emergency department.
