Professional Counselling

Sometimes life feels overwhelming, confusing, exhausting, or simply too much to carry alone.

At St Peters House, we provide a safe, respectful and non-judgmental space where you can talk through the challenges you are facing and receive support to move forward.

We offer short to medium-term counselling for youth (aged 12 and over) and adults experiencing low to moderate mental health and wellbeing concerns.

Our counselling is provided for Tauranga and Western Bay of Plenty residents only (Waihi Beach to Pukehina).

We may be able to help with:

• Depression, anxiety, stress, low mood and emotional overwhelm
• Relationship, family and parenting challenges
• Self-esteem, identity and feelings of loneliness or disconnection
• Coping with grief, loss, illness and  other major life changes
• Suicide bereavement support (if your counselling is relating to a loss from suicide we can access funding to provide you with 10 free sessions. Please ask us about this.)

What counselling at St Peters House looks like:

• Our counselling is short to medium-term, usually around 6 to 10 sessions.
  
• Sessions are 1 hour long and start between 9am and 3pm.  The more flexible you can be with your availability the sooner we may be able to offer you an appointment. 
  
• It is our practice to not have children in counselling sessions. Feel free to call us if you want to discuss your specific circumstances.
• Counselling is confidential and our counsellors will always respect your beliefs, values and culture.
• We work alongside you rather than telling you what to do
• Together, you will explore what is happening in your life and identify helpful ways forward.

​When another service may be more appropriate:

There are some situations where our service may not be the most appropriate or safest support option, for example when someone requires specialist, crisis, or long-term mental health support.

This may include:

• Children under 12 years old
• Acute or high-risk safety concerns
• Active addiction issues, people using Class A drugs or attending sessions while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Recent sexual assault or acute family violence where specialist support is needed
• Mental health concerns that currently require intensive psychiatric, specialist, or multidisciplinary care
• Students seeking counselling primarily to meet course placement or study requirements

In some situations, counselling with us may still be appropriate, for example when mental health concerns are stable and support is being requested for other life challenges.

If we believe another service would better meet your needs, we will discuss this with you respectfully and, where possible, help guide you toward more appropriate support.
If you already know that your needs fall outside the scope of our service, you may find our 'Other Support' page helpful, as it contains information about a range of specialist and community support services.   

Other Community Support

Cost of Individual Counselling:

Your first 6 individual counselling sessions are free of charge through our subsidised counselling programme.

If additional sessions are needed, a fee applies based on household income.  Please refer to our payment guidelines here.

As a charitable organisation, St Peters House relies on funding and donations to continue providing affordable counselling to the community. If you are able to contribute more toward your sessions, we deeply appreciate it.   

Request Counselling

 What happens after you apply?

1. Complete the counselling request form.
2. Our team will review your application
3. We may contact you if we need more information or if we feel we are not the right service for you.
4. We will be in contact, usually by phone or text, when an appointment becomes available. We have waiting lists for our counselling so you may have to wait up to 6 weeks for an appointment*. 
5. Your first session will focus on understanding what support you need and whether our service is the right fit for you.

* Waiting times can vary depending on demand and your availability.

​Still not sure? Worried? Anxious?
If you are worried or anxious about coming to counselling, then please feel free to use the link below to view some friendly information about counselling at St Peters House. It might help make you feel comfortable coming to see us.

​FRIENDLY INFORMATION ABOUT ST PETERS HOUSE

Request Counselling