Avanol’s Qualifications and Experience…
I am currently a counsellor at the Mid North Family Support centre in Kerikeri and am available for private consultation both locally, nationally and internationally (in person or via Skype). I am also able to offer you PHO-funded sessions through your medical professional.
Qualifications
- BSc Hons (Psychology) Uni. Ed Dip. MNZAC
- Diploma in Polarity Therapy
- Certified Imago Therapist
- Certified EFT practitioner
- Certified Matrix Reimprinting practitioner
After completing my psychology training, I initially worked as a psychologist for many years at a school for deaf children in South Africa. This gave me new insights into how it must be for a child growing up in a silent world and how difficult it can be for the parents and care-givers.
Followng the traumatic break up of my first marriage, I left South Africa and moved to Zimbabwe. Here I headed up the psychology department at a rehabilitation centre, where I worked with physically, emotionally and/or mentally disabled children and adults.
This included young men who had been badly injured on military duties and/or who were suffering from post traumatic stress. These young men, who may have lost limbs or become paralysed from spinal injuries, had suffered head injuries or been blinded, were all having to deal with a life that had been changed forever. Their wives and families were deeply affected and often struggling to cope.
During the course of this work l became involved in family support work, relationship therapy and parent-effective coaching.
My now husband and I left Zimbabwe in 1981 and moved to a farm in a remote area of South Africa where I spent years in my capacity as a counsellor, working with people from different cultures who were struggling with various life issues, relationship conflicts, addictions, family problems, depression, grief and anxiety.
Polarity Therapy
To enrich and further my understanding of human nature and the unravelling of deep-seated emotional problems, l completed a two year training as a Polarity Therapist.
It is a body-centred therapy which, through holding specific points on the body, aims at restoring balance and free-flow to the body’s energy blockages. This helps to release traumatic memories that may still be locked in at a cellular level.
After practising as a Polarity Therapist for some time, and before leaving South Africa in 1999, I joined my husband in qualifying as a Body Stress Release practitioner.
Since coming to live in New Zealand I have spent time familiarising myself with the history and ancient traditions of the Maori people, as well as how this has been carried forward and recently revitalised by today’s Maori people.
I extended my trainings to the Shamanic way of viewing both physical and emotional illness to deepen my understanding of the old traditional ways of healing.
Imago Therapy
I have done the New Zealand based clinical training as an Imago Therapist, enabling me to offer specialized therapy and coaching troubled relationships (both couples and other).
EFT
I also trained in and have worked extensively with the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT/tapping) which is on the forefront of what is now called “Energy Psychology”.
It is a very effective therapeutic tool which has shown itself to be highly successful in freeing clients from troubling emotions and negative ways of thinking that prevent them from moving forward with their lives.
It has proven to be successful in many areas of personal problems (anxiety, fear, depression, addiction, relationships, self sabotage) but has found particular success in healing the effects of past and present traumatic experiences.
Matrix Reimprinting
More to come soon…
Addictions
I worked for several years helping people who were recovering from many different kinds of addictions including P, heroine and alcohol.