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Gisela Theunissen

Gisela is currently pursuing a Master's in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy at AUT which is deepening her understanding and skills to better support and guide young people navigating life's challenges.


She understands that emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming and difficult to express, especially for young people. With a warm and empathetic approach she aims to create a safe and supportive environment where every child and young person feels that they are heard and valued for who they are. 


Recognising that play is a child’s natural form of communication and that toys can serve as their words, she primarily uses play therapy with younger children to help them process their inner experiences. With adolescents, she combines play and talk therapy providing a space for both creative expression and meaningful conversations. Gisela also believes that no child exists in isolation and offers regular whānau feedback meetings to support parents throughout their child's therapeutic journey.


Gisela is happy to support children and adolescents between the ages of 4 and 18.


Outside of her work, Gisela enjoys reading, painting, building Lego, and finding the best dessert places around town!

Therapy approaches

  • Psychodynamic psychotherapy 

  • Play therapy 

  • Mentalization based therapy 

  • Sand play therapy

Qualifications

  • BSc Psychology and Statistics

  • BSc (Hons) Psychology - First Class Honours

  • Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy (Child and adolescent)

  • Master of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy (In Progress)

Memberships

  • Student member of New Zealand Association of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists

How can we help?

Clinician preference
Dr. Camilla Nguyen
Dr. Alexandra Bijl-Brown
Sarah Buckland
Ron Chau
Meika Churchman
Rachel Bilby
Gisela Theunissen
Hanna Cope
Dr. Danny Stewart
Erin Zhai
Keyla Losa
Dr Jemila Chadwick
No preference - First available

Service Eligibility Criteria

Due to the specialised nature of our services, we are currently unable to support clients experiencing severe mental health symptoms, high risk of self-harm or harm to others, borderline personality disorder or traits, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or psychosis-related conditions. By proceeding, you confirm that you have read and understand these eligibility requirements and believe you meet our service criteria.

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