Olivia Notter

Psychologist

“I support people in connecting to their hearts to feel and understand who they are.” Olivia

I endeavour to build a relationship with my clients based on respect, trust and understanding which is fundamental to healing. I see myself standing alongside my client in their journey, so that together we can develop insight into their thoughts, behaviours and emotions and how they interact with the world around them.

While advocating the value of self-compassion, together we create a safe space where clients can discover their own values and build on their strengths. This is achieved by giving my clients an opportunity to share their story while listening without judgement and introducing tools, resources and techniques that are best suited to them.

By taking a holistic approach to my clients’ wellbeing, I encourage the client’s awareness of their own physical, spiritual, mental and emotional reactions to whatever they bring into a session. I am committed to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi: partnership, participation and protection. I value my regular cultural supervision, and welcome clients to bring in their whānau if they choose to. Kei te ako ahau i te reo Māori.

I have experience in a range of therapies including

• Equine Supported Therapy

• Somatic Psychotherapy

• Mindfulness

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

• Narrative Therapy

• Psycho-dynamic Therapy

• Family Systems Therapy

• Solution Focused Therapy

• Reflecting Teams

• Circle of Security

• Post-Modern Approach to Therapy

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 

I am a Kiwi with Swiss German heritage. I was born near the sea in Whāngarei and grew up under the hill of Hikurangi. I love adventuring in the bush, surfing in the sea and connecting to animals in whatever way they might appear in my life. I regularly practice meditation and yoga and value these as an essential part of my wellbeing. I love to express myself through art, creating crafts, making music on my mandolin and drinking herbal tea in the sunshine.

Before studying psychology I had a background in youth work in New Zealand and as a support worker for people with an intellectual and/or physical impairment. I also completed a diploma in theology and a certificate in massage.

For my PhD in psychology I designed a program on building resilience in adolescence and ran this program throughout secondary schools in Wellington in 2012. Following, I completed a Master of Clinical Psychology in Australia in 2014. This involved two years working with clients in different settings including an independent Indigenous school, a private hospital and at the university clinic. From 2016-17, I was working with children, adolescents and adults at a mental health foundation in Warnambool Australia.

I am an avid traveler and over the years I have traveled through Asia, Africa, Scandinavia and Europe. In my travels I worked and volunteered at various places including orphanages, schools, hotels and hospitals.

I have experience working with a wide range of issues including

• A history of physical and sexual trauma

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Obsessions and compulsions

• Relationship difficulties

• Self-worth

• Volatile emotions

• Suicidal thoughts and attempts

• Grief

Qualifications, Registrations and Professional Memberships

• PhD in Psychology at Victoria University of Wellington 2012

• Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Queensland University of Technology Brisbane 2014

  Member of the New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS)

• Current Practising Certificate with the Psychologist Board of New Zealand