Gisela Theunissen

Gisela is currently pursuing her 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 to provide 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 to 18.

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