Ross Palethorpe

Tēnā koutou kua huihui mai nei
Nō Kotiana ahau
I tipu ake au ki Renfrewshire
E noho ana au ki Ōamaru
Ko Ross tōku ingoa
Ko tēnei taku mihi ki ngā tāngata whenua o te rohe nei
Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa

Kia ora! My name is Ross Palethorpe (he/him). I am Pākēha and moved to Aotearoa in 2009. My background is in education, with fifteen years of experience as a high school teacher, and as a senior education advisor for the Ministry of Education. I moved into mental health work in 2019 and retrained as a counsellor. I work with adults and adolescents both in-person and online, with a focus on grief and trauma. I am a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. I live and work in Ōamaru, North Otago but am available to travel within the Waimate and Waitaki region.

I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), structured trauma therapy and person-centred counselling to support clients to understand how their experiences, values and beliefs influence their behaviour and emotions. I believe that counselling is an opportunity to be heard and understood as a whole person, to retell and reflect on our unique stories, and to develop strategies that enhance our lives and relationships. Counselling can feel like a big step, and I endeavour to make the process as accessible and safe for clients as possible.