At Anxiety NZ, counselling is a collaborative process over time. It’s more than a one-off conversation; it’s a series of sessions where you and your counsellor work together to understand what’s going on, build skills, and make meaningful progress towards your goals.
Is counselling right for you?
Counselling works best when people are ready to take up and continue with support, rather than a one-off visit.
We recommend coming into counselling with the intention to attend a series of sessions (often around 6 to start with), so you have time to:
build trust with your counsellor
clarify what you want support with
work on strategies between sessions
notice progress over time
develop a plan to maintain your wellbeing after counselling finishes
Counselling is a partnership. Your counsellor brings clinical skills and guidance, and you bring your experiences, goals, and willingness to engage in the process both during and between sessions.
If you’re unsure whether now is the right time, that’s okay; you might prefer to start with our self-guided resources or courses and return to counselling when you’re ready to move forward.
Initial discussion
An initial free phone call with a mental health clinician is an opportunity to ask questions and a brief check-in about your mental health, well-being, and goals.
Your First Session
Your first counselling session is a starting point, a chance to get to know your counsellor and begin to explore what you’d like help with. Each session is around an hour.
You might talk about:
What’s been feeling difficult lately
Stress, anxiety, or challenges you’ve been facing
Changes or transitions in your life
What you’d like support with
Any goals for your wellbeing
Therapeutic relationships develop over time. There is no pressure to share everything straight away. You’re in control of what you talk about, and your counsellor will help guide the conversation.
You’ll also talk about how counselling works, including confidentiality, and have space to ask any questions.
Often, the most meaningful changes happen between sessions as you apply what you’ve learned in real-life situations.
At Anxiety NZ, we’re committed to making quality mental health support accessible to people and whānau across Aotearoa New Zealand. Our counselling service is part of that commitment — offering a safe, supportive space to talk, reflect, and work toward your wellbeing goals — at an affordable cost to you (or fully funded for eligible low-income earners or those under 18).
Our counsellors are passionate, skilled, and in the final stages of their professional training. Supported by approved clinical and peer supervision, they bring warmth, insight, and fresh perspectives to their work with clients.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, life transitions, grief, stress, or simply want someone to talk to, our counselling team is here to support you.
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What counselling involves over time
Counselling is designed to build momentum across sessions.
Across a course of sessions, you and your counsellor may:
identify patterns in thoughts, emotions, or behaviours
learn and practise practical tools
apply strategies in your day-to-day life between sessions
reflect on what’s working and adjust approaches
gradually build confidence and resilience
Some sessions focus on talking things through. Others include learning specific tools to manage anxiety, reduce overwhelm, or improve daily functioning.
Often, the most meaningful changes happen between sessions as you apply what you’ve learned in real-life situations.
Why engaging regularly matters
Attending counselling consistently gives you the best chance of making progress.
Coming to one session alone can be helpful, but it usually isn’t enough time to:
fully understand what’s contributing to challenges
try new strategies and see how they work
build lasting change
A short series of sessions allows you to move from insight to action and then into sustainable wellbeing.
Do I need to be in crisis?
No. Many people come to counselling for:
ongoing stress
life transitions
relationship challenges
feeling stuck or overwhelmed
wanting to better understand themselves
Seeking support early can make things easier to manage and prevent challenges from becoming more challenging over time.
How many sessions will I need?
There’s no single “right” number. An initial commitment of around 6 – 8 sessions may be helpful for many people. Regular review of your goals and progress with your clinician is important for your counselling journey.
This gives enough time to:
explore what’s going on
identify and work toward your goals
build practical tools
develop a plan for ongoing wellbeing
Your counsellor can review progress and decide next steps. This may be maintaining your progress, transitioning from therapy (wrapping up), continuing therapy or working towards new goals, or transitioning to other supports.
What if I don’t know what to talk about?
That’s completely normal. You don’t need to have it all figured out.
Many people start with a simple sense of:
“I feel overwhelmed”
“Something isn’t quite right”
“My anxiety has been getting worse”
Your counsellor will help you find a starting point and work through things together.
How to prepare
You don’t need to prepare in a big way.
If you’d like to, it can help to think about:
What’s been hardest lately
What you’d like support with
What “a bit better” might look like
It’s also helpful to think practically, arriving a few minutes before your session, your physical wellbeing e.g. hydrated and having had something to eat, being in a private space (for online sessions), and allowing time afterwards to process.
Is counselling confidential?
Yes. What you share is private and handled with care.
There are a few situations in which confidentiality may need to be broken to keep someone safe or to meet legal obligations. Your counsellor will explain this clearly and involve you wherever possible.
Our approach at Anxiety NZ
Our counselling service provides accessible, evidence-informed support through clinicians either in training, or with full registration and all working under professional clinical supervision.
We offer:
Online (nationwide) and in-person sessions (Auckland)
Affordable or funded options for eligible people
A supportive space to work towards your goals
How much does it cost, and can I get funding?
Our therapy services are not automatically government-funded. Some people can access funding for all or part of therapy. You can find more information here.
Funding Option 1: Disability Allowance Funding: Low-income earners, students, and children/young people may be eligible for funding for therapy. This involves completing a Disability Allowance form and a Disability Certificate for Counselling (WINZ/Studylink). Both your GP and an Anxiety NZ therapist must sign the forms before you submit them to WINZ. If approved, the Disability Allowance is paid directly to you and can be used to pay for appointments at Anxiety NZ.
Funding Option 2: Disability Support Services Individualised Funding: If you are disabled or care for a disabled person, you may be eligible for funding for therapy. There is a range of support available. You may also be eligible for Disability Support Services. Visit www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz
A shared commitment
Starting counselling can be a positive step.
When you refer to our service, you’re choosing to begin a shared commitment to your wellbeing, working alongside a clinician over time to create meaningful, lasting change.
If that feels like the right next step for you, we’re here to support you.
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You can refer yourself for counselling here.
New to counselling? You might find the rest of the series helpful:
