The ancient gods
of my ancestors
are in the rivers, in the lakes,
in the mountains,
in the skies and in the forests.

My ancestors came from Switzerland,
and I was among the first generation of my family to be born in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Currently I live in the Noosa Hinterland, Australia, where the traditional custodians of the land
are the Gubbi Gubbi.

I was born,

the youngest of two brothers and a sister, near the sea in Whāngarei and grew up under the hill of Hikurangi.

I feel a deep relationship to the land and people in Aotearoa. Te reo Māori speaks to my heart. I still have much to learn, yet every word I learn reminds me of the wairua and sacredness of life.

A young girl with pigtails, crouching and smiling on a sandy beach, next to a large sandcastle decorated with shells and small objects, with water and distant landforms in the background.

A scenic landscape featuring a rounded hill in the distance, surrounded by green fields and trees, under a blue sky with some scattered clouds.

I still have a strong connection to Switzerland. I do my best to go back there so I do not lose the language, an important part of my heritage.

A woman walking on a mountain trail with green hills and snow-capped peaks in the background, under a clear blue sky, with two people sitting on a bench in the distance.

Living in the rainforest in Queensland is a beautiful experience, I am surrounded by birds and jungle and feel right at home. I am also learning about the traditional custodians of the land, the Gubbi Gubbi and their stories. It is an honour to be here and learn.

I have a passion for understanding our earth, she is our heritage and a part of us. I feel that being connected to our land offers healing to the suffering of the individual and our communities.

A person with short, wavy hair relaxing outdoors on a fallen tree trunk among tall trees and green foliage, with a clear blue sky visible above.

Greeting

the rivers, trees and mountains around me is what keeps me in my natural state. Connecting to animals and the elements brings me life. I also love to explore life through art, crafting, singing, making music and drinking herbal tea in the sunshine. I have an avid interest in plant medicine, philosophy, and sci-fi novels.

A woman standing barefoot in a small creek surrounded by lush green trees and fallen leaves, with a large tree branch extending across the scene.

I am fortunate

to live with a loving partner I’ve known for many years. We enjoy traveling together, discovering, and collecting rocks and lounging in the sun playing music.

A black and white photo of a man with long hair and a beard smiling at a woman with short hair and earrings, both smiling warmly.

Before studying psychology

I had a background in youth work in New Zealand and as a support worker for people with physical and intellectual impairments. I also completed a diploma in theology and a certificate in massage.

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

Group of women and children gathering around a traditional well, with some holding long wooden sticks and one woman with a baby in her back, in a rural village setting.

For My PhD in Psychology ,

which I completed at Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand), I designed a program on building resilience in adolescence. I ran this program throughout secondary schools in Wellington in 2012. The results indicated that fostering positive emotions in adolescents such as gratitude can help to prevent the development of depression.

A woman in a red dress pointing at a poster titled 'Building Resilience in At-Risk Adolescents' at a conference or academic event.

City skyline at dusk with tall modern skyscrapers, illuminated bridge over water, and a leafy plant in the foreground.

I completed

a master’s in clinical psychology At Queensland University of Technology (in 2013-2014, Brisbane, Australia). My masters involved two years of working with clients in different settings including an indigenous school, at a private psychiatric hospital and at the university clinic.

From 2016-2017 I was working with children, adolescents, and adults, at a mental health foundation called Headspace in Warnambool, Australia.

Cliffs with ocean waves crashing at their base, featuring a natural rock arch formation, overcast sky with some sunlight.

From 2018 - 2021

I established a private practice in the sunny Ōtaki, Aotearoa. During this time I also worked with Jenny Gibbons at HEARTS (Human-Equine Alliance Resilience Trauma Support) doing equine assisted therapy. We worked with horses to help people heal from their past trauma. We also did family constellation work with the support of the horses.

Person lying on the grass with legs stretched out and head resting on a brown horse in a field, with another horse grazing in the background.

A building surrounded by tall palm trees with a partly cloudy blue sky overhead

Currently

I am offering therapy online or face-to-face in the beautiful townships of Eumundi and Maleny or in a nearby forest.

A metal sculpture of a geometric, three-dimensional wireframe shape, set against a sunset sky with palm trees in the background.

The ancient gods of my ancestors are in the rivers, in the lakes, in the mountains, in the skies and in the forests.