our team.

Fresh Minds employs registered health professionals, including psychologists, counsellors and nurse specialists. Our team come from a variety of personal backgrounds, cultures and professional experience.

Our therapists follow evidence-based therapy, using proven approaches and techniques. With flexibility across online and in-person services, together we design a mind health approach that works for you. Mind, body and environment – it’s your journey, we’re simply the guides.


Katya Russell

Psychologist and Mental Health Practitioner


“Recognizing that you are not where you want to be is a starting point to begin changing your life.” - Deborah Day

Katya has had an extensive career in mental health working in maternal mental health and the student population in the tertiary sector. Katya has also conducted much work with clients who have immigrated to New Zealand and people who live with terminal illness diagnosis.

In her working practice, Katya helps clients with their understanding of current struggles and works on developing beneficial strategies to assist with making changes so that moving forward is achievable. More importantly, Katya creates an atmosphere of warmth and understanding, so that clients feel safe enough to talk about their challenges.

Katya is also fluent in both English and Russian and can offer therapy in either language.

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Melissa Cheung

Psychologist


"Give yourself the same care and attention that you give to others and watch yourself bloom" Holly a Bay

Melissa is a Counselling Psychologist who takes a strengths-based and collaborative approach to therapy by integrating different therapeutic practices.

Melissa offers a warm, relaxed, and non-judgemental space to explore effective and healthier ways of coping. She is passionate about supporting people by helping them gain confidence in their abilities to manage distress and to be better equipped to navigate the waves of life.

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Bronwyn Impson

Clinical Social Worker


“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we'll ever do.” - Brene Brown

Bronwyn is a clinical social worker based in our Ellerslie office. She has over 20 years of experience in South Africa, England and Aotearoa. Drawing from her skills in ACT, CBT, transformational coaching and change management, she creates a warm, safe and sometimes fun space for you to discover your unique inner wisdom and experiment with new ways of being, to keep you moving towards your goals.

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Anel Kieser

Health Psychologist


The greatest wealth is health.

I am passionate about working alongside people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds to support them through any difficulties or challenges they may be facing. I see each person as a unique individual, who is the expert of their own experiences.

I enjoy working with people to help them overcome stress, anxiety, depression, health and behavioural issues. 

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Desiree McGhie

Psychologist (School)


"Ma te huruhuru ka rere te manu." Adorn the bird with feathers, so it can fly.

Most of my mahi as a Psychologist has been with the Ministry of Education. This journey provided a pathway that invited engagement with schools, students, whānau and community groups.

My mahi in Fresh Minds with the ESBHS team (Enhanced School-Based Health Service) is much the same as I collaborate with Health Teams in three secondary schools in Auckland.

My practice involves talking therapies that are relevant for our rangatahi today, supported by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Solution Focused therapy. 

One of the many favourite aspects of my work is sitting with a student, hearing their stories and then guiding them to navigate their way through the tough challenges that face them. I consider it an honour to be part of that journey in their lives. 

When I am not working I am gyming, swimming, walking, reading, eating. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband as my best friend and a wonderful son who lives nearby our home who is often reminded that he is to look after us in our old age.  

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Mathina Mahawadu

Mental Health Practitioner


“There is no one giant step that does it. It’s a lot of little steps.” - Peter A. Cohen

My wish is to walk alongside people, offering support, education and empowering them in taking those little steps in their journey. I have a background in Psychology, and enjoy taking a contextual approach to wellbeing.

In my work, I look to meet individuals where they are, and draw upon my training in Psychology, Applied Behaviour Analysis and ACT to support them in where they would like to go.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, listening to and playing music, walks with my puppy and connecting with people near and far.

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Wayne Attenborrow

Mental Health Practitioner


"Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans." - John Lennon

Wayne finds great satisfaction in connecting with people from all different walks of life. . That connection he believes begins from the place where we are all human, and all experience the peaks and valleys that life brings with it.

After working in various mental health settings for some time, Wayne specialised in mental health and addictions working at a private rehab as a skills coach and facilitating the program.

As a therapist at Fresh Minds, Wayne centres his work around Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Wayne believes a skills-based approach alongside building a meaningful and satisfying life is a key ingredient to well-being.

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Kelly Konsten

Family Therapist/Clinical Social Worker


“A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes Snr.

Kelly’s passion is to walk alongside individuals of all ages and families and help to increase wellbeing. She is committed to working mindfully in a culturally inclusive, relaxed and open space.

She aims to enhance psychological flexibility and reflective capacity so her clients can increase their insight and skills to live the values-based life they want to. In her clinical work she draws from her training in ACT, Parent-Child attachment therapies, Group Facilitation and Family Therapy.

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Paul Gregory

Clinical Psychologist


Sometimes in life we can fall into holes we can't climb out of by ourselves.

Paul is a Senior Psychologist with over 15 years’ experience working in Mental Health services in NZ and the UK.  

He works with clients experiencing a wide range of issues including depression, anxiety, and relationship difficulties. He has specialist expertise in therapy with individuals experiencing substance and alcohol abuse problems.  Paul has also worked in Corporate Advisory Services for a major international consulting firm.

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Alison Ramsay

Mental Health Practitioner


“Happiness is not the absence of problems, it’s the ability to deal with them.” – Steve Maraboli

Alison’s therapeutic style is non-judgmental and collaborative, enabling clients to feel supported and comfortable to explore the issues that bring them to therapy.

She has experience providing evidence-based interventions such as ACT, CBT, Schema Therapy and Mindfulness, and works holistically to consider how every aspect of a person’s life contributes to their challenges and their wellbeing. Alison supports people not only to manage their presenting problems but also to recognise strengths and create meaning within their lives.

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Sandra Davies

Mental Health Nurse Specialist/Therapist


Without change there would be no butterflies.

Sandra loves working with people in the community and spent many years as a community mental health nurse in the UK and New Zealand. 

Sandra is a trained cognitive behavioral therapist (CBT) who also specialises in ACT, mindfulness, DBT and distress tolerance.

Sandra loves spending time with her two puppies and going for long walks as well as listening to music.

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Pip Dean

Clinical Psychologist


“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

Pip works with both adult and adolescent clients experiencing a wide range of stressors related to their thoughts, emotions, relationships, and lifestyles. She takes a curious, empathic and validating approach towards understanding the needs and world view of the client and integrates this into her therapeutic approach. Within this space, Pip supports her clients to build a strong foundation for resilience and change.

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Jenny Parsons

Psychologist


“Sometimes, just getting up and carrying on is brave and magnificent.” - Charlie Mackesy

Jenny is a psychologist who takes a holistic and strengths-based approach to therapy. With a background in Health Psychology, Jenny draws on her psychology training and therapeutic knowledge of ACT, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness to support people to achieve their health and wellbeing goals.

Jenny is passionate about helping others to recognise their personal strengths and values, whilst acknowledging that people are the experts on their journey in life. As a therapist, Jenny strives to walk alongside people she meets, building genuine connections to create a collaborative, non-judgmental space where clients feel safe to explore their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and can learn skills that help them navigate the challenges of life.

In her spare time, Jenny enjoys spending time with family and friends, going to the gym, and walking with her dog Honey.

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Aimee Houston

Psychologist


"Having difficult thoughts and feelings come with being a human being who cares."

Aimee has worked as a psychologist and behaviour analyst for the past five years and enjoys working with people to help them build skills to cope with the challenges and curveballs of life through emotion coaching, mindfulness and other self-management tools.

Aimee has experience working with children and adolescents and supporting parents to ensure they are receiving the support they require.

Living with her partner in the bush on Auckland's west coast Aimee spends her free time sewing or adding new fabric to her huge stash. 

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Amanda Willetts

Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Team Lead


“Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle”

Amanda is a senior Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Team Lead at Fresh Minds. She has worked in the health sector for many years and has enjoyed supporting young people, their families, and adults.

Amanda has experience supporting people across a range of difficulties, from managing life’s stressors to supporting people with complex mental health concerns. Current therapy models include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Compassion-focused approaches.  She has experience in family therapy and multi-family support.

Amanda enjoys nature and animals, and has two small fur babies and feathered friends.

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Deanna Sanders

Psychologist


"You cant stop the waves but you can learn to surf." - Jon Kabbat-Zinn

Deanna is a experience Health Psychologist who is skilled at working with those managing physical health issues and how they impact on psychological wellbeing. 

Deanna works with people to help manage depression, anxiety and stress management using a combination of therapy techniques such as CBT, ACT and mindfulness.  Deanna is trained in the Triple P parenting programme and enjoys working with parents and families.

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Shelley Southgate

Mental Health Practitioner


“Promise me you'll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think”. AA Milne

Shelley is a registered occupational therapist with more than 25 years’ experience working in community mental health. She has been able to support people who have experienced anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, grief and loss, trauma, relationship challenges, anxiety at school and in employment.

Shelley offers a variety of approaches that can be tailored to meet the individual’s needs including, ACT, DBT, CBT, Te Whare Tapa Whā and Sensory Modulation. 

Shelley is passionate about working with people using a solution focused approach and supporting others to overcome challenges to live a rich and meaningful life. She believes in the expertise and resilience within all people, that they can acquire the knowledge and learn tools to improve their overall wellbeing.

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Dr Sheryl Metheney

Clinical Psychologist


People are more resilient than they realise; it’s my job to help people come to this realisation and to help them become stronger and more confident in their own abilities.

Sherryl loves working with children, youth and adults and uses a variety of solution focused therapies to help people move forward.

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fresh minds by ProCare.

Fresh Minds is a social enterprise that provides mind, mood and wellbeing services – we are a leading provider for primary mental health, behavioural health and wellbeing and a reputable provider of youth health services. We believe that everyone has the right to live well and as an organisation and team, this is at the heart of everything we do. Fresh Minds is brought to you by ProCare which is New Zealand’s largest network of general practice teams, helping more than 800,000 Kiwis to live healthier, happier lives.

We offer convenient and responsive therapy and invite you to meet with your Fresh Minds clinician in-person, online, or via telephone.

People of all ages come to Fresh Minds for support to deal with life stressors and worries, help manage their moods, or if they are struggling to connect with others or enjoy their daily life.

Our dedicated workforce is made up of Psychologists (Clinical, Health, Counselling, General, Educational), Nurses, Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, DAPAANZ Counsellors, Health Coaches, administrators, programme leads & GPs.

Our Fresh Minds Centres provide services which aim to support the health and wellbeing of children, youth, young adults and adults. Across our three sites (North Shore, Ellerslie and Manukau), our clinicians use evidence-based therapy, proven approaches and their personal background to provide patients with the right tools and techniques to guide them on a journey to discovering their mind, body and environment. We offer help for a range of issues from stress, anxiety and depression, drug and alcohol issues, loss and grief, sexual abuse issues and much more.

At your first meeting, your Fresh Minds clinician will speak to you about your situation and help you to deepen your understanding of the emotions, thoughts, and difficulties you experience. You will work with your clinician to develop strategies to support mental wellbeing.

Vision

Kia puāwai te hauora — thriving mind, body, spirit, and community for all people in Aotearoa.

Purpose

Whakamana ngā tāngata — together we serve and empower people, whānau & communities to lead the equitable, healthy, and well lives they aspire for.

ProCare Partnerships

Whakarongorau Aotearoa

the National Telehealth Service

Te Tumu Waiora

an innovative Mental Health and Addictions support programme in Primary Care - find your nearest HIP or Health Coach here

Ready, Steady, Quit

the largest smoking cessation service in New Zealand

Enhanced School Based Services

in 12 schools in the Auckland District Health Board area

The Positive Parenting Programme

to help parents adopt effective strategies



To find out more about the work we are doing in this space, please visit the ProCare website.

ProCare

Ko e fiemalie ‘a e ‘atamaí, ‘oku ne paotoloaki ‘a e mo’ui kakato.

careers.

working with fresh minds.

We believe every New Zealander has the right to live well. We are leaders in the field of delivering mind health and wellness services in the primary care sector. In the face of a changing New Zealand, we are innovating how care is provided to people of all ages and stages of life. We believe in delivering our services with humanity and compassion.

career opportunities.

We're always on the lookout for individuals to help us achieve our vision. As part of our team, you will have the opportunity to work with skilled colleagues on a range of new and innovative programs. We are committed to offering leadership and career development pathways to our clinicians, actively supporting professional development.

If you would like to discuss a career opportunity at Fresh Minds, please contact us through the site.

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