ACC Senstive Claims
The Creative Arts Therapy team offers therapy services in Canterbury, Wellington, Waikato, and Auckland.
Through the Sensitive Claims Service, ACC offer fully funded support, treatment and assessment services for survivors of sexual abuse or assault.
For more details, you can visit their official ACC website.
How to Access ACC Sensitive Claims
Clients
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Get in touch to learn how we can help.
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If you would like to reengage with ACC through one of our team, get in touch.
If you have your old claim number, this is helpful but not necessary.
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Currently, there is a huge demand for services throughout the country, and many providers are not taking new referrals.
Meet Our Team.
Therapists
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For short-term adjunct therapy (e.g., art therapy, EMDR), we generally recommend 10-15 sessions. Please email us with your client’s information, and we can connect you with an appropriate provider.
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If you would like to join our ACC Sensitive Claims team and become a provider, please get in touch.
Here is more information about how to register with sensitive claims.
Meet our Team
Chelsea West
AucklandCounsellor-
I’m a counsellor and full member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC). I work with people who are often carrying a lot - sometimes because of trauma, anxiety, difficult relationships or experiences of family violence or sexual harm, and sometimes simply because life has started to feel overwhelming or hard to make sense of. My approach to counselling is warm, collaborative and centred around you. I don’t see counselling as me sitting across from you telling you what you should be doing. Instead, I see my role as working alongside you — helping you make sense of what’s happening, gently noticing patterns together, and finding ways forward that feel realistic and meaningful for your life. Our sessions might look different depending on what you need at the time. Sometimes we may explore deeper experiences and where certain responses have come from. Other times, our work might be more practical — understanding your nervous system, finding ways to manage difficult moments, strengthening boundaries, or building confidence in yourself again. And sometimes, it’s simply having a space where you don’t have to hold everything together.
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Family and sexual violence
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ACT, DBT, person-centred therapy
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Chelsea West Counselling Services
In-person available in Whangaparaoa, Auckland, Telehealth available.
Erin Zhai
AucklandRegistered Psychologist-
Kia ora 你好！Erin is a Registered Psychologist with extensive experience supporting adults from diverse cultural background. She speaks Mandarin and English. Erin provides a warm, respectful, and culturally sensitive therapeutic space, supporting clients to process their challenges, rebuild a sense of safety, and regain control in their lives. Erin is trained with Schema Therapy, EMDR and CBT, integrating these approaches according to each client’s needs and their stage of change. Erin's clinical work focuses on depression, anxiety, immigration-related issues, Asian cultural issue, adult trauma-related concerns, including Complex PTSD, PTSD, sexual trauma, and single-incident trauma.
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Adult, Asian clients, women, ACC physical and sensitive claim assessment and treatment
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EMDR, Schema Therapy, CBT
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In person only at Mt Eden, Auckland
Chloe Patterson
AucklandSocial Worker-
Kia ora, I'm Chloe, a Registered Social Worker based in Auckland.
I have a background in working alongside individuals and whānau experiencing family violence, sexual harm, trauma and mental health challenges.
I'm naturally a warm, down-to-earth person, and I bring that into the way I work. I really value building genuine connections and creating a space where people feel comfortable, heard and understood.
I understand that everyone's experiences are different, and I don't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. I like to take the time to get to know the person I'm working with, understand what's important to them and work together at a pace that feels right.
My approach is trauma-informed, practical and person-centred. Whether it's talking through difficult experiences, exploring emotions or finding ways to manage everyday challenges, my focus is on supporting people in a way that works for them.
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Family and sexual harm
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My therapeutic approach is warm, collaborative and trauma-informed, with a strong focus on person-centred care. I recognise that everyone’s experiences and needs are unique, and I aim to create a safe, respectful and non-judgemental environment where clients feel heard, supported and empowered to work towards their goals at their own pace.
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Kat D'Arcy-Young
WaikatoCounsellor-
Life can feel overwhelming when you're carrying the weight of past experiences. You might feel stuck, unsafe, or unsure of who you are. You might be living with the effects of trauma or sexual harm, or working through grief, loss, identity or sexuality. Whatever brings you here, you don't have to carry it alone.
At Cambridge Creative Counselling, I offer a safe, compassionate and trauma-informed space where you set the pace. As a person-centred counsellor, I believe you are the expert in your own life. You stay in control of what we explore and how. We can work through talk therapy, creative arts therapy, or a mix of both, whatever feels right for you. Creative arts therapy can be especially helpful when experiences are hard to put into words. Through art-making, writing or sandplay, you can express and process what you're holding gently, without having to retell every detail. No artistic skill is needed.
As an ACC-registered provider, I can support people with sensitive claims. As a gay woman and proud member of the rainbow community, I know how important it is to feel seen, valued and safe to be your whole self. When you're ready, I invite you to reach out.
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Women, LGBTQI+, neurodiversity
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Person-centred Therapy, Creative Arts Therapy
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Cambridge Creative Counselling
In-person Cambridge, Waikato, telehealth available
Rātā Gordon
WaikatoCounsellor / Creative Arts Therapist-
I offer a warm, collaborative and creative approach to therapy, supporting people to work at a pace that feels manageable and meaningful to them. My practice is grounded in person-centred and trauma-informed approaches, with attention to the body, nervous system and the ways our experiences can be held beyond words.
As a creative arts therapist, I draw on writing, image-making, metaphor, movement and other creative processes where these feel useful. You don’t need to think of yourself as “creative” or have any artistic experience. Creative approaches can simply offer different ways of noticing, expressing and making sense of what is happening.
I particularly enjoy working with queer and neurodivergent people, and aim to offer a space that is affirming of diverse identities, relationships and ways of being. I work online with adults throughout Aotearoa.
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LGBTQIA+ / Rainbow communities, Neurodivergence, Anxiety and overwhelm, Identity and self-exploration, Relationships and relationship diversity, Creativity and creative blocks, Highly sensitive people, Life transitions
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Creative Arts Therapy Person-Centred Therapy Somatic / Body-Based Approaches Mindfulness-Based Approaches
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Telehealth Only
Janine Moody
WellingtonCreative Arts Therapist-
Currently, I primarily work with young children and youth. I hold therapy sessions at schools where funding is available through RTLBs, Oranga Tamariki, or through the Board of Trustees. I also have a private practice space where I see individuals with a variety of needs, including ACC-sensitive claims, mostly with adults.
I am also a supervisor for other creative arts therapists
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Children, Adolescents, Youth, ASD, ADHD, Anxiety, Disabilities, Grief and Loss Identity Issues, Self-harm, Sexuality & LGBTQIA+, Trauma, Working in Schools
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Creative Arts Therapist
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Eugenia Rodriguez
WellingtonClinical Psychologist-
I have had the opportunity to live and practice psychology in different countries and with clients with different cultural backgrounds. In my private practice I offer therapy for private clients and ACC-EMDR adjunct therapy. I also conduct assessments including Supported Assessments for Sensitive Claims, Functional Assessments and Psychological Assessments for Physical Injury Claims.
I provide supervision in different areas and specialise in EMDR supervision.
Qualifications: Bachelor in Psychology, Postgraduate qualification in Clinical Psychology, Master in Organizational Psychology, Master in Clinical Psychology with emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, Certification in Emotional Focus Therapy (EFT) for individuals and couples, and Consultant level and Accreditation in Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). Registered with an active practicing certificate with NZPB. Member of NZCCP. Registered as an accredited EMDR practitioner with EMDRNZ.
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Trauma, personality disorders, dissociation, depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties (couple's therapy), substance abuse, and attachment problems. Working with adolescents and adults
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EMDR and Emotional Focus Therapy
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Be Well Therapy
In-person (Miramar-Wellington) and telehealth
Andre Stanton
WellingtonCounsellor-
Kia ora, I'm Andre, a Wellington-based counsellor. I work from a person-centred, trauma-informed perspective and bring both professional and lived experience to my work, with a background across community, youth, and primary health services, including Wellington City Mission and Kāpiti Youth Support.
I hold a Bachelor of Counselling and a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Science (Addiction). I have a particular interest in working with men and bring experience supporting neurodivergent people and members of the LGBTQIA+/Rainbow community. I welcome adults of all genders and backgrounds.
You can learn more about me and how I work by visiting my website. If you feel I may be a good fit, you're welcome to contact me directly through my website or by email to discuss availability.
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Neurodivergence, LGBTQIA+/Rainbow Community, Men, Trauma Recovery
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Person-centred, trauma-informed, and relational
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Change Up Counselling
In person in Wellington Central. Telehealth is available once sessions are established.
Kate Collins
ChristchurchRegistered Dietitian-
Kate is a New Zealand Registered Dietitian who’s passionate about helping clients use nutrition to feel better, manage symptoms, and understand their bodies. She works alongside clients to find realistic, evidence-based ways to support their health.
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Providers can refer to Kate for support with:
• Disordered eating and body image concerns
• Appetite changes, including underweight and overweight patients
• Digestive issues linked to anxiety, depression, PTSD, medications, etc
• Nutrition support by addressing trauma-related barriers to meal preparation, eating, and overall good nutrition
• Functional impacts on daily living (safe food routines, addressing avoidance of food environments, simplifying meals)
• General dietetic concerns
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Telehealth only
Simi Desor
ChristchurchRegistered Psychologist-
When I work with individuals, children, families and groups, I believe in being attentive to how our experiences, the surrounding world, and our culture can affect us. I believe an ecological approach gives a deeper understanding of many of the issues that arise in our lives.
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Trauma-informed care, strengths based approach.
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Ethical, responsive and eclectic to suit the client.
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In-person Redcliffs and telehealth.
Megan Lindsay
ChristchurchCounsellor-
I aim to provide a safe, respectful, and non-judgemental space where we can work together towards the changes you are hoping for.
I work from a person-centred, strengths-based approach, drawing on Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and other evidence-based approaches. Together we will explore your experiences, strengths, values, and the patterns that may be keeping you stuck, while building on the resources you already have.
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Narrative, CBT, Strengths-based, Solution focussed
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Rangiora in person and telehealth
Stacey Garmonsway
ChristchurchSocial Worker-
Kia ora, I am a registered social worker living in Selwyn and working across Chirstchurch Central and Selwyn.
I work with ACC Kiritaki who need more support to engage with therapy through connecting them with community resources and services and walking alongside through these pathways. I am able to help people engage with specialist mental health services, government agencies such as WINZ and OT and have many connections throughout community services that can be beneficial to kiritaki.
I work on referrals through Lead Providers.
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Maatauranga Maaori, Maternal Mental Health, AoD
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Social work only
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Amy Mepham
ChristchurchPelvic Health Physiotherapist-
Kelly and Amy founded Liberty Pelvic Health Physiotherapy after seeing firsthand how important pelvic health support is for women and families. As pelvic health physios and mums themselves they understand the physical and emotional challenges that can come with pregnancy, post-partum recovery, menopause, and pelvic health concerns.
At Liberty, we’ve created welcoming, supportive spaces where you can feel comfortable talking openly about symptoms that are often hard to discuss. Whether you’re preparing for birth, recovering after having a baby, navigating menopause, seeking support for bladder, bowel or pelvic pain concerns, or looking for men’s pelvic health care, our experienced team is here to help.
As one of the few Christchurch clinics dedicated solely to pelvic health physiotherapy, we’re passionate about helping you return to the activities you love with confidence.
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Pelvic pain, bladder/bowel concerns. Women, men and neurodiverse populations.
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Liberty, Pelvic Health
Merivale, Addington, Cashmere and Telehealth
Katrina Poharama
ChristchurchCultural Advisor-
He uri tēnei nō Ngāti Kahu me rāua Ngāti Porou, ko whānau Moana te hapu, ko Haiti-tai-marangai te marae. Nō Tāmaki Makaurau ahau, he Ōtautahi ahau e noho ana.
With a post-graduate diploma of science I am committed to promoting equity and inclusion for tangata māori in healthcare spaces. I have worked for several organisations in this area, providing cultural competency training as well as health navigation and advocacy for clients. I am passionate about helping kaimahi create spaces for tangata māori where their mana and culture is respected and integrated into their care.
If you have any questions or need advice around engagement with māori clients, please feel free to reach out.
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Tangata Māori, LGBTQIA+ & Rainbow
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Winnie Whyte
ChristchurchCreative Arts Therapist-
’ve always been fascinated by how expressing and relating to art deepens our understanding of our inner and outer worlds. With a background in fine arts and education, I became a Creative Arts Therapist because I wanted to find work that uplifts creativity and allows me to support others through meaningful, reciprocal connections using the arts.
My approach to Arts Therapy is person-centred, informed by play and the Reggio Emilia learning approach. My sessions are client-led, where I am alongside as a guide. I aim to support those who engage in therapy to explore their world through creative, sensory approaches to bring forth new understandings and promote change.
I'm a playful, imagination-inspired creative with a love for finding wonder in small things. My creative practice in multimedia sculpture is driven by curiosity, humour, and a desire to invite playfulness. These same qualities shape how I work as a therapist.
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Children and Youth Neurodiverse Affirming Practice
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A Hundred Languages Creative Arts Therapy
In-person Christchurch Central