Hi, my name is Troy Wathey, I have been working as a social worker/therapist for now 18 years in New Zealand. I have worked with numerous individuals, couples, and groups of all ages and ethnicities. In those 18 years, I have only worked in government agencies, and have network with a lot of community agencies. My areas of understanding and experience include working in the Youth Justice and Care Protection system, Corrections, and for a District Health Board in the area of mental health and addictions. During my time working with a young person and their families, I have learned a lot about the challenges young people face, and their families, and how the right type of understanding, support, and guidance is important. The Correction services taught me, along with working in the mental health and addiction area how important empathy, honest, personal awareness, growth, development, and the belief that change can happen is important. For the last 15 years, I have worked for a District Health Board with individuals and groups in all sorts of mental health and addiction areas. Working in these fields including for many years in the emergency mental health and addiction team has opened me up to the challenges that people face and can suddenly find themselves in. These experiences, learnings, and going through people's journeys and challenges have helped me become a more rounded, realistic, and experienced therapist. These experiences, learnings, and going through peoples journeys and challenges have helped me become a more rounded, realistic, and experienced therapist. I am an open, honest, easy-going, and non-judgmental person. I understand life can be challenging, and difficult. Therefore this is where therapy can be useful. Sometimes therapy sessions need only be for a few sessions, other times sessions are more medium and long term. I understand that also it also takes time to make changes or gain an understanding of your current situation. As your therapist, I will be asking you for your story and asking you to review your situation or asking you to explore those difficult memories. But with support from myself and others if needed we can hopefully come to an outcome that best suits you. Therapeutic and practical approaches As a social worker/therapist I have worked with a number of methods, theories and approaches. However, I use strength-based, therapeutic and practical approaches, which helps people to see their positives first in their life. I am also a trained CBT therapist so I have met many depressed, and anxious people and apply this approach if it could work for you. I do also do work in a holistic way, but as being a clinical social worker I have also a good understanding of mental health and addiction disorders and therefore will use evidence-based approaches and models where needed, and I understand the medical model used by DHB hospital services. I like to also work with couples around relationship difficulties, and with people who struggle with addiction issues. Two years of my work involved working full time in a addiction rehab facility, so I also have an understanding of the addiction models, approaches, and other supports which are out there. I have also worked in the opiate substitution program (OST), for around 3 to 4 years and thus understand the difficulties people struggle with opiates, methamphetamines, and other substances. So feel free to contact me if you or someone needs supports in this area. As I have now been helping and supporting services now for 18 years I also offer professional supervision as well individual. Plus I do brief therapy as I know some people do not want to fully explore every part of their life as they just want to work on their current mental health and/or addictions or other issues that are affecting them. Qualifications and registrations Masters of Social Work from Massey University - Masters papers done in mental health, addictions and supervison. Thesis on, "on why men leave a relationship after a birth of a child". Victoria University- Diploma of Mental Health. Otago University-Diploma of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Registered social worker and CBT New Zealand member. If you like to know more, and feel I can help please make an appointment, or feel free to contact me for an enquiry. Cheers Troy