Home | Standard Therapy | Intensive Therapy | Workshops | About Us | Contacts | Methods/Models | FAQ | Links
About Us
Background:
We are in our late forties with a school-aged family. We share the care of our kids and the work of the practice. Our own relationship of thirty years probably accounts for our passion for working with couples.
Verity is a sixth generation pakeha New Zealander. She has had a broad range of experience in her twenty five years as a psychologist. After completing her degree at Victoria Verity initially worked in a therapeutic community (The Richmond Fellowship: www.richmondnz.org ) providing an alternative to conventional psychiatric treatment of mental health problems. Next she began working in the alcohol and drug field. Verity worked for Presbyterian Support Alcohol and Drug Srvice (ADDS), becoming a senior clinician there and then clinical team leader. She then moved into the public sector as a manager for the North Shore Community Alcohol and Drug Service (“CADS”: www.cads.org.nz/Cads).
She went on to pursue her interest in full time clinical work at the Kelmarna Centre and, after the birth of their first child, at the Home & Family Society (www.homeandfamily.org.nz) (job sharing with Nic who was already working there). For the last 12 years she has enjoyed working in her own private practice alongside Nic.
Verity is a senior and well-respected clinician whose current areas of professional interest include sexuality, relationship issues in general, anxiety and life-stage adjustment issues (including becoming parents, midlife and ageing).
Verity enjoys music, having outdoor adventures, good food and company and is currently falling of her surfboard a lot and enjoying it!
Nic is a first generation kiwi of Danish & Dutch-Indonesian parents. His first career was as a theatre actor and director.
He trained as a Clinical Psychologist at Auckland University and during this time he also trained and worked as a Family Therapist at the Leslie Centre. After serving his internship at Segar House (a group therapy setting) , he worked for the Home & Family Society (www.homeandfamily.org.nz) where, in addition to his therapy caseload, he and Verity ran couple’s groups. He began in private practice in 1996 working 3 days a week (and looking after the kids 2 days a week).
Nic developed a speciality in brain injury rehabilitation and spent over ten years working in this area. He has written and presented in this field and, although no longer seeing ABI clients, continues to supervise a number of other psychologists working in the area.
His current professional passion is relationship therapy and sexuality. He is a member of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counsellors and Therapists and is the coordinator of the Sex Therapy Interest Group – a trans-Tasman network for health professionals in this field.
Nic still keeps his performing hand in by singing in an “à cappella gospel choir with rock ‘n’ roll attitude” (www.jubilation.co.nz). He is an avid reader of science fiction, a currently thwarted sailor, an expert beach bum and a very proud father.
Home | Standard Therapy | Intensive Therapy | Workshops | About Us | Contacts | Methods/Models | FAQ | Links
Phone:+64-9-575-5798 Fax:+64-9-575-5833Email:or
© Nic Beets and Verity Thom 2007