David Flaws BSc (Hons) PhD Dip Tchng MNZAC

I have a string of not very relevant degrees and more than thirty years experience practicing psychotherapy as a hypnotherapist and counsellor. I also have more than 4000 hours workshop training in a variety of therapeutic modalities Over time I have developed a lot of skill and ability in listening to and understanding people so I can help them to solve problems. Sometimes the problems are internal, sometimes interpersonal, and sometimes external.

• My original focus was on internal problems. I trained as an analytical hypnotherapist and I spent some years as a psychotherapist involved in client's internal worlds. I still do a limited amount of this work. In the last few years I have adopted an Ericksonian approach involving the use of Therapeutic Metaphor for work with individual clients. My clients talk to me about their lives and the things that happen (and keep happening) in them. I tell them lots of apparently irrelevant stories which subtly change their internal worlds and their perceptions of the external one.
• Gradually my focus changed to working with couples. I still do this work, usually for couples referred through the Family Court. With them, I generally adopt a strategic approach, and use selected Neurolinguistic techniques to modify their patterns of interaction and communication. Couples usually go away from my sessions with some specific "Therapeutic Tasks" to be worked on before the next session. The "tasks" are designed to interrupt dysfunctional patterns of relating and establish new and healthier ones.
• Couples work led me to develop expertise in the area of Family Violence. I still do this work, mainly with men referred by the Family Court. I provide an individual program "No Excuses" which gives men a chance to examine and reflect on their experiences as men, and on their programming about how to be a man. I encourage them to examine the ways that their particular programming works or does not work for them in their lives. If they choose, I can offer them powerful techniques for changing the unhelpful stories in their heads about manhood, about women, about love, about parenthood and about conflict.
• My extensive experience and familiarity with a very wide variety of therapeutic approaches enables me to provide effective supervision to helping professionals in a variety of disciplines and with a wide range of experience.

After working in Wellington, Whangarei, and Auckland I returned to the North and since 1993 I have been in private practice in Whangarei, working as a counselor and employment advocate. I am no longer a psychotherapist, though I continue to practice psychotherapy.

Most of my work is funded through the Family Court, but I see some private clients. I charge $100 per session, which lasts about an hour.

Email me: davflaws@learningedge.co.nz or ring me on 09 4340225 or 027 2939121