Testimonials
Our psychology team (educational, counselling, general and clinical) speech-language therapist and occupational therapist provide support and direction to many parents, families and caregivers. Together, we help their children to understand and overcome their challenges. Below please read a selection of testimonials.
Team Testimonials
“It was incredible to see the change in the children from the first to the last session of Courageous Kids. Over six weeks I saw children grow in confidence, develop friendships, support and encourage each other. All of the children said that their anxiety had diminished by the end of the programme and this was represented in their art works – anxiety monsters that previously loomed above and over them, now were smaller and more manageable – some even fit in the palm of their hands! The children used belly breathing, mindfulness and gratitude outside of the workshop which meant that they could actively use the tools we discussed with great results. One of the highlights of the course was hearing that the children felt this would be a great course for other children too and many were keen to come back. Using the arts in a safe and supportive group setting was greatly engaging for the children, who had lots of fun whilst also learning how to best manage their anxiety and keep it at bay.” – Julia Janna, Certified Art Therapist, November 2019
“A quote from Harry this morning…’I wish we had courageous kids every week, why is it only 6 weeks?’ From someone who I had to drag into the room, that’s high praise” – Alisa
“Courageous kids has really changed our lives and I’m not just saying that , it really has. We have noticed so many changes in Ricky both big and small. He is less angry, less afraid and more willing to give thing a try even when he’s not sure. He also speaks more positively about himself and we can see that he has more confidence than he did back in September.” – Parent
“So great to hear that the course was helpful to Rocco and that I am on the right track with Courageous Kids, looking forward to running it again next year”, Julia Hanna, Art Group, 2019
“100% agreed they would recommend Kidz Therapy to their friends and family”, December 2019
“The group was just amazing”, November 2019
“Great communication, we were so very happy with our son’s attendance and excellent progress, keep doing more of this Kidz Therapy”, November 2019
“Excellent service, thank you KT”, November 2019
“I wish we had Courageous Kids every week, why is it only 6 weeks?” – Jack
“Thank you for the time and care you’ve taken with completing Lucy’s report. It is thorough and complimentary of her skills. Thank you again for being such a positive influence for me and my daughter’s educational journey. We couldn’t be happier with Lucy’s progress and how your work has helped her understand her true abilities.” – Cynthia, mother of Lucy age 14 years March 2019
“We found the session with you fantastic and we’re keen to have another visit with you this month if possible.” – Cilla, Feb 2019
“Thanks so much for the comprehensive report. It really is enlightening, I’ve now forwarded the report to school and will work with the learning centre.” – Leanne, August 2018
“Thank you Kidz Therapy, I feel so confident in how you do things, the friendliness and expertise of the psychologists there – we have passed your name on numerous time. Thank you” – Moana, September 2018
“I just wanted to say how myself and Craig were so impressed with your team approach and we know we are working with the best, thank you for helping our family” – Di, November 2018
“Having such expertise at your fingertips is amazing, I am so happy we found Kidz Therapy, it makes me so much more confident in my self, I have been telling the other mums at school” Shelly, mother of ASD girl age 8 years, 2018
“Just wanted to thank Kidz therapy. I take this opportunity to comment on the excellent services you have provided.” – Te Kahu Toi Assessment Hub, September 2018
“I think Kidz Therapy provides a wonderful and much-needed service and we greatly enjoyed meeting and working with you all.” – Monica, 2018
“I work with young people as a career development practitioner and have referred a number of clients to Marie and her team, who have provided a range of educational psychology and other services. The consistent feedback from client families who have used Kidz Therapy is without exception, excellent. Marie and the team have very high levels of professionalism in their work and do their very best they can to work with the young person and their family to provide the best possible support and service. Thank you for being there for our young people and their whanau”.– Hana Lambert, Career Development Practitioner, Rata Careers and Education, Nov 2015
“I love the fact that your place is a one-stop shop’ and there is a high degree of professionalism and skill apparent in the centre, the news that your child is dyslexic and dyspraxic is not the one parents really want to hear; but we feel so secure in knowing that Marie can interface and work together to get the best outcomes for our son” The ongoing support and therapy has been invaluable both for the school and us as parents and Brad is much happier too”. – Parents of Brad, age 16 years
“We are so very pleased to have Kidz Therapy involvement, the expertise and the friendly yet professional way you liaise with each other is so assuring; we know we have the level of expertise we need; it is such a joy to work with your team as the work ethic and quality service is so evident”. – Sharon mother of Sam; 8-year-old dyspraxic boy 2015
“Kidz Therapy has a lot of support at its fingertips and our unit uses the whole range of support it offers. Marie Kelly is warm, friendly and specialises tailoring personalised support plans for every child / student / family she works with. Marie is both an experienced mum and educationalist who really listens to what you need. I would say her reports are fantastic – and practical. A real bonus is the effective way she communicates with students, their families and educationalists – you are guaranteed to laugh and learn at the same time!” – Julie Mulcahy SENCO
Marie Kelly – Educational Psychologist, Director of Kidz Therapy
“Marie has been invaluable in assessing and supporting our daughter’s learning requirements over a number of years. Most recently she recognised that our daughter demonstrated signs of ADHD. This was a real breakthrough moment for us which helped explain a number of things we had been questioning over the years. She worked hard to help diagnose this and then to ensure that our daughter got the support she needed both with her doctor as well as with the university. She has followed up and supported us as a family in a way well beyond what you would expect. In short I would not hesitate to recommend Marie and her team to any family needing advice and support.” October 2020
“Marie, we can never thank you enough for the superb work you do. Since first meeting you in 2009, we have had our children assessed by you every three years, they loved coming to you when they were little and even now as they finish their schooling and head to tertiary life in 2021 they still enjoy coming along, you are kind and always make them laugh and feel good about themselves. You are very insightful and have worked out how to make things better for our kids as we and they navigated their school systems. Thank you, you really do make such a positive difference!” September 2020.
“Thank goodness we had you support us! So appreciate what you have done Marie”. July 2020
“Thank you for such an in-depth and comprehensive report. It clarifies all of the issues Olly faces with his learning and is extremely helpful and insightful.” – Kerry, October 2019
“ Thank you so much for Nate’s report, we found it really helpful and the DP/SENCo was also very impressed with the detailed information you provided, she said you managed describe Nate and his strengths and weaknesses so accurately and given him his own voice. Thanks so much Marie, we really appreciate the work you do at Kidz Therapy”, Ellie mother of Nate (10 years) November 2019
“This is a very belated thank you for sending through such a thoughtful and thorough report on Jack. I am pleased to say that he already seems happier and we are seeing improvements with the plans that have been put in place by school and generally by us all having a greater understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. I think the biggest difference has been his understanding of himself, he’s doing so well and just seems so happy and accepting to be doing some things differently to others while knowing that it’s the best way for him to learn. Thanks again for all your time, you are amazing at what you do…it’s a shame that more kids (and parents/teachers) aren’t able to have such a great insight into what makes them tick. ” – Sarah (mother of Year 5 Jack)
“Our son waited a while to see you as the school recommended it. It was well worth it and thank you for your lovely way of working with Josh and making him feel so clever and important. He thought he was stupid until you assessed him even though we told him he wasn’t. I can’t thank you enough for not only providing an amazing report but also giving us such insight into our clever son. PS he really enjoyed getting the “most stickers ever”– Jo, January 2019
“I had heard of Kidz Therapy from quite a few people and we are so glad we took Lily to see you. We didn’t realise how badly her self-esteem was affected but after you explained to her she is a smart girl but learns differently she is so much happier at home and school. Thank you Marie” – Megs, February 2019
“I will be recommending you to anyone who asks if I know someone fabulous!” – Jackie, November 2018
“Thank you so much Marie. I am so impressed with Kidz therapy, you are all incredible.” – Andrea, October 2018
“You may not rermember but you saw our older daughter Amy a few years ago and your report has made such a difference to her. She is now in Year 13 and the school’s Learning Support office have been extremely helpful to her learning. She is doing really well! I often re-read your report to find that it is every bit as useful as it was back then. Thanks so much:) Rachael, mother of Amy, May 2017”
“Thank you so much for this report – it is by far the most comprehensive report I have ever read and exactly what we needed. Thank you so much for your time and expertise – it was lovely to meet you too. The Senco at Ryan’s school also hugely impressed – said she had never read a report which gave so many useable recommendations either, and said it was so obvious that you had such a real understanding and insight into my child. Thank you so much” Claire, primary school teacher 2016
“We approached Marie from Kidz Therapy after much research and consideration. Having obtained my own MA in developmental psychology, I was very careful to ensure our daughter will be assessed with due care and consideration so that she would find the experience both enjoyable and beneficial. Marie exceeded our expectations. The assessment was extremely thorough and the feedback process detailed and hugely informative. We have provided our daughter’s assessment to the school she is about to join, and they informed us that having seen many such assessments, our report stood out for being highly tailored to our daughter. As a consequence of this process we were able to make many changes to accommodate our daughter and she is now much happier. If you are considering assessing your child because you want to understand more about how they learn and how to best cater for them, I would whole heartily recommend using Kidz Therapy”.– Galia BarHava-Monteith, Executive Coach. November 2015
I would like to thank you. I’m in the process of doing the SAC and the reports that come from you are (for me) by far the easiest to read. You make it very easy yet so comprehensive! thanks for that! It saves me at least 40 mins per application. Auckland Senco 2015
“Marie’s reports are very thorough; the recommendations are practical and easy for teachers to implement. Marie makes herself very available for any follow questions to clarify information, which is invaluable. As a RTLB cluster we highly recommend Marie’ services to parents, schools and professionals.”– Karen Blackall (RTLB) Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour
“The report you prepared is extremely detailed and exactly pinpoints the areas of concern that we have observed over the last couple of years but have been unable to articulate clearly. It was very pleasing to hear how competent Lizzie is in so many areas or her work – and this is entirely consistent with how we observe her – but it was also good to get a comprehensive assessment of the areas where Lizzie is struggling and is in need of some extra help. I am extremely grateful for the time you spent with Lizzie and the detail in the report. Thank you” Mother of 8 year old twice exceptional girl, 2015
“You have scored well on her Physiologist barometer as she said you were very nice”,Jo mother of a Year 10 student 2015
Melissa Mako –Educational Psychologist
“My husband and I were in two minds about booking an assessment for Jackson, as his school did not believe anything to be ‘wrong’. I am so glad I followed my motherly instinct to have him assessed, as now we know Jackson has a specific learning disorder in reading, we can support him the best we can. Melissa’s recommendation for a Reader for his exams will be a game changer for Jackson. Thank you again Melissa for your thorough report. It clearly explains Jackson’s strengths and weaknesses and how we can best support him through his final years of secondary school. ” – Mother of Jackson; Year 9 student with a previously undiagnosed learning disorder, 2018
“Melissa, I am writing to thank you for your gentle approach with Jacob. As you know, he was quite anxious about the assessment, but as soon as we met you his nerves subsided. He couldn’t wait for the next session!” – Jenny mother of Jacob 6-year-old boy, 2017
I have read the report and I am very happy with it, thank you. We appreciate it and think you have done an amazing job. We are glad we went through the process and have found the report worthwhile to get Samuel the support he needs. Samuel has been doing well at school and seems much happier these days. Parent of a Year 10 student. May, 2015
I’d also like to give feedback about our facilitator Melissa – she was so good and helped our daughter to take things calmly. I really liked her approach, expertise and style to the process. Racheal October, 2016
It was so lovely to meet you, thank you for making Charlotte feel at ease and explain the findings so clearly to us. Parent of a Year 3 student. October, 2015
Thanks for your help and support. We’ve had a meeting with learning support and have now changed James’ options for next year to suit his strengths. Thank you for clarifying things and providing a report that was easily understood. Parent of a Year 11 student. August, 2015
Shireen
“Thank you very much for the report and Shireen’ lovely approach during her session. Katie seems so much more comfortable with her upcoming tertiary study since she spent time with Shireen. (“I just thought I was dumb” is a quote from Katie)” July 2020
“Thank you for the report on Lucy, we have spent some time reading it and have found it most helpful and are busy introducing the ideas contained within it. We now have a map of where we are heading to support her learning and her confidence and I think we are making progress in both regards. Thanks also Shireen for your lovely interaction with Lucy, she enjoyed meeting with you as did we.” June 2020.
“It was incredible even from our verbal discussion with Shireen following the assessment, how accurate her assessment of his needs were. And she did repeatedly tell us how wonderful she thought Daniel was – it was wonderful for us to see the clear rapport she has with Daniel He really responded to her. Please pass on our sincere thanks to Shireen.”
“I just wanted to let you know personally how impressed we were with Shireen. Not only was she wonderful with Rosie but she went well so far out of her way, it was unbelievable. All of the extra time and help she gave us was so very much appreciated. Shireen is so obviously a very big asset to Kidz Therapy and it is wonderful to see people who go the extra mile. We will certainly be recommending Kidz Therapy to any of our friends who need similar support”.
“Thanks for the report. I will take the time to read this slowly and digest over a few reading sessions but just wanted to say thank you very much. I think Kidz Therapy provides a wonderful and much-needed service and we greatly enjoyed meeting and working with Shireen. It was incredible even from our verbal discussion with Shireen following the assessment, how accurate her assessment of his needs was. And she did repeatedly tell us how wonderful she thought Jack was – it was wonderful for us to see the clear rapport she has with Jack. He really responded to her. Please pass on our sincere thanks to Shireen”. Jack’s mum, Maddie, Feb 2018
“We were both so impressed with Shireen, she is a ‘standout’ in my opinion. her level of engagement, immediate ability to connect and empathise with dealing with our daughter was quite remarkable. While we both hold Corporate roles and of an assumed level of intelligence, Shireen’s ability to explain things to me in simple terms was fantastic. Shireen’s focus and purpose of how best to assist Lizzie going forward was simply ‘refreshing’. It was very easy to see how very caring and passionate Shireen was in her role while at the same time being very professional and totally ethical. She was very transparent, honest and complimentary of the team she works with. Shireen was also ‘in-tune’ and very perceptive working with Lizzie (who is in her early teenage years) and how she may feel amongst her peers with respect to hear learning difficulties and how it sometimes impacts on her self-esteem. While I do not use Facebook or Social Media I am more than happy for you to provide my feedback to others and I will personally communicate my positive experience about Kidz Therapy to Lizzie’s school” Mother of Lizzie, Year 9 student, 2017
Hilary Dixon – Psychologist
“Hilary has worked with our 16 year old daughter for the past 18 months. Hilary’s manner and approach is exemplary – she has the most wonderful combination of warmth, empathy, respect and professionalism. Having Hilary in our daughter’s life has made the most significant difference, both to our daughter through the support and coping skills she has learnt as she navigates life, and to us as parents knowing that . our daughter has the support she needs outside of her parents. We cannot recommend Hilary more highly. Every friend that we have introduced to Hilary shares a similar admiration for the way that she works with their children.” – Ru, 2019
” We came to see Hilary Dixon in early 2018 to help resolve some emotional issues with our 10-year-old son. Hilary was brilliant: calm, empathetic and knowledgeable. Our son enjoyed meetings with Hilary and we saw a dramatic improvement in his emotion regulation and behaviour over just a few weeks. Hilary also identified some underlying learning challenges, which we are now working to address. She has worked with our school to help our son’s teachers to understand his needs. Our son is a happier chap, his school is engaged and we are looking forward to an awesome 2019. We unreservedly recommend Hilary to parents of children with emotional or behavioural challenges.” – Jackie, 2018
“Hilary was recommended to us by Kidz Therapy with regard to issues we had with our 8 year old son. We found her extremely helpful, and understanding of our situation. Hilary showed empathy towards our stress and listened to our concerns and provided constructive advice/solutions. We received a detailed report and also various recommendations which were practical and family friendly. We would not hesitate to contact Hilary again to discuss any concerns that we had” – Andrew, 2013
“Our son is more confident now and able to handle his challenges. I know there are still things he finds difficult (as we all do) but he is more willing and confident to face them. He is now a normal, moody, fun-loving, homework and chore evading boy in his tweens. He’s slowly venturing out and challenging himself to do what we know he is capable of doing – even in his studies” – Thomas, 2014
“In his sessions with you, our son felt comfortable and safe enough to open up to you and yet still feel quite independent enough to know when he could stand on his own and stop going. In the process of helping him you have helped us too. You encouraged us when we felt unsure about our parenting. That gave us confidence to go through the difficult times. Sometimes we just need a hand to guide us through the tough spots. We’re very happy that you were there for us. Thank you so much!” – Vicky, 2014
“Hilary Dixon has worked with our son over the past two year period. He has a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome, and has done remarkably well in main stream life until a breakdown 2 years ago which resulted in social phobias and an anxiety disorder. His slow journey towards recovery has been complex and difficult, complicated by Aspergers”.2013
“Hilary’s understanding of the “Aspie mind” and what drives our son has meant that it is one place he can go and be totally understood. In turn, Hilary has helped our family understand where he is at, and how to relate to him during this difficult journey. His weekly visits to Hilary have literally saved his life (and our sanity), in a number of ways. Perhaps even more valuable to us has been Hilary’s deep, unconditional, genuine commitment to the wellbeing of our son. We are deeply appreciative of what Hilary and Kidz Therapy have done for our son to date – words cannot express our gratitude.”
Olisha Naicker – Child Educational and Community Psychologist
“We had a great catch up what a beautiful person she is!” – Anna, March 2020
“Thank you for the support you and Olisha provided to make our show great today. (Humm FM). We got quite a good feedback and do hope we can associate again”- 2018 and 2020
“Appreciate your help and Olisha was very well spoken and gave a wide expert opinion. Many thanks to her.” – Ragini
Narelle Nichelsen – Counselling Psychologist
“Thank you for touching base. This lockdown down has been chalk and cheese compared to last lockdown. James has been great and we have both been able to problem solve better when he has big feelings.
He also had five days with his dad this time round which was nice for all of us.
In general since therapy he’s a lot more balanced and able to express himself in healthy ways. It really has been a positive a positive change that I am so grateful for.” – Parent, September 2020
Helen White – Speech-language therapist
“Thank you for all you have done for us. You are an incredibly special lady, and Sophia really enjoys our Monday mornings with you.” – Andrea, January 2019
“Thank you so much for all you have done for Trinity, the simple tips have worked a treat. We have absolutely appreciated everything you have done with regards to our girl. Your support, guidance and patience has been amazing and we can’t thank you enough.” – Hayley & David, January 2019
“Emily came home last weekend and was so happy about her lessons with you. She said how helpful it has been already and that it was giving her renewed confidence. ………..Thank you, you’ve really captured Emily’s enthusiasm for your lessons.” – Amanda, March 2018
“Thank you for your incredible energy and enthusiasm you show Sophia – consistently – so lucky to have found you.” – Andrea, April 2018
“Thank you for making Bella’s learning so enjoyable” – Sarah, April 2018
Many thanks Helen. I feel so lucky to have found you and I enjoy your effervescent personality on Tuesday mornings. Alison, Feb, 2018
Ellie came home last weekend and was so happy about her lessons with you. She said how helpful it has been already and that it was giving her renewed confidence.
Last year she went to pieces over giving speeches and managed to get out of the last one. I’m just letting you know well ahead as you might be able to help. Thank you, you’ve really captured Ellie enthusiasm for your lessons., Amy, Feb 2018
Testimonial from Jo Gracey, parent and learning support assistant, Christchurch July 2016
“This is to say a big thank you for all your help this week. It has been amazing and quite eye opening to watch you work. You have an amazing wealth of experience and knowledge and I am grateful to have met and sat under you, even be it, a short time. The strategies you have been showing us make a lot of sense in targeting language problems – and I know I won’t do them a fraction of how well you do them – but I am so grateful to now have a direction to go in – and to start this slow and steady work with Annabelle, each at home, in Christchurch”
From student Annabelle Gracey 9 ½ years. “Thank you for teaching me. You are a star. You are a great teacher. I hope you have had a great time teaching me. It was a great time with you”
“We would like to thank you greatly for all that you have done for Ashley. We are thrilled with her progress and know that it is the result of your significant expertise. We look forward to working with you again soon”. Warm regards, Tracey Gabriel, 2015
“After four sessions with Helen, my daughter is already able to use concretely what she learnt. She can do her homework with everything Helen taught her. Helen has this wonderful ability to “connect” with teenagers, to make them work hard in a friendly environment. I am amazed to see my daughter using words she could not remember before. It is a huge relief for me to know that Helen will help her this year”.2014
“Helen’s work with our 14 year old son proved invaluable in helping him find ways to express himself verbally in the same way he could express himself in numbers and graphs. He is much more confident in his ability to write essays and is consistently achieving higher grades in English”.Kind regards, Elizabeth, 2015
“I am so excited with the progress that Ben is making with Helen White. Her approach and methods are a complete revelation to us; in particular that Ben’s recall of all he is learning is so far beyond anything we have seen in previous therapies. The slow and steady approach consolidates learning in such a way that it seems almost effortless, while moving ahead at a speed that surprised me. I’m also impressed with the 6 week on and 6 weeks off programme we have. It suits us financially, suits Ben’s personality and keeps the sessions fresh”.2015
“Outside of therapy Ben’s speech has improved significantly which makes life so much easier for us and him. His progress at school and ability to interact there are also improving. Ben’s recall of all he is learning is so far beyond anything we have seen in previous therapies. The slow and steady approach consolidates learning in such a way that it seems almost effortless, while moving ahead at a speed that surprised me. I’m also impressed with the 6 week on and 6 weeks off programme we have. It suits us financially, suits Ben’s personality and keeps the sessions fresh.
“Thanks for the massive improvement that we have seen in Harry’s speech. Enjoy the Christmas break – safe and happy travels. Will contact you next year to schedule in another block of sessions”. 2015
“I would like to sincerely thank you for your very professional and caring approach. We are confident that Amy is in very capable hands but also appreciate your loving, fun and nurturing manner. I look forward to speaking with you soon.”Elizabeth, June 2011
“We would like to thank you greatly Helen for all you have done for Ashley. We are thrilled with her progress and know that it is the result of your significant expertise. We look forwarding to working with you again soon”
“I had a chat with Marie today and relayed to her the progress Maddie has made. Thank you so much for your help. I know your contribution was significant. Maddie is doing very well but we won’t hesitate to come back to you if we need to. Glenn and I are your No. 1 fans!” – Clare, September 2012
“Hi Suzanne, Thank you for the informative evening with Helen White. She really impressed me. Whilst Madeleine was a bit reluctant to come along, I think it was helpful for her to hear some of the descriptions/traits that were talked about (a number of them familiar to her). I do think it’s helpful for her to start to have a better understanding of how her brain works as she will need to advocate for herself more and more as she becomes more independent. Madeleine is enjoying both learning support and da Vinci. We are really pleased with our decision to place Madeleine at Dio, it certainly appears to have been the right choice for her.” – Thanks again, Sally Waters
“After four sessions with Helen, my daughter is already able to use concretely what she learnt. She can do her homework with everything Helen taught her. Helen has his wonderful ability to “connect” with teenagers, to make them work hard in a friendly environment. I am amazed to see my daughter using words she could not remember before. It is a huge relief for me to know that Helen will help her this year.” – Pascaline Marcenac
“Hi Helen, “I had a chat with Marie today and relayed to her the progress Maddie has made. Thank you so much for your help. I know your contribution was significant. Maddie is doing very well but we won’t hesitate to come back to you if we need to. Glenn and I are your No. 1 fans!” Clare Turner.” – Best wishes, CT
“Hi Helen, Helen’s work with our 14 year old son proved invaluable in helping him find ways to express himself verbally in the same way he could express himself in numbers and graphs. He is much more confident in his ability to write essays and is consistently achieving higher grades in English.” – Kind regards Elizabeth
“I am so excited with the progress that Ben is making with Helen White. Her approach and methods are a complete revelation to us, in particular that Ben’s recall of all he is learning is so far beyond anything we have seen in previous therapies. The slow and steady approach consolidates learning in such a way that it seems almost effortless, while moving ahead at a speed that surprised me. I’m also impressed with the 6 week on and 6 weeks off programme we have. It suits us financially, suits Ben’s personality and keeps the sessions fresh. Outside of therapy Ben’s speech has improved significantly which makes life so much easier for us and him. His progress at school and ability to interact there are also improving. Helen’s experience and knowledge are impressive and her ability to connect with Ben (and me) on a personal level make coming to sessions a pleasure. We are very grateful to have met her.” – Thank you, Belinda Thomas.
Julia Mason – Occupational Therapist
“Thank you for the beautiful way you assessed Jack – you are a very special person indeed.” – Anna, Mother of 9 year old Jack, August 2020
“When we needed some help with our son’s transition to school, Julia assessed him and helped him with a number of one-to-one sessions. We were very impressed with Julia’s insights, dedication and professionalism. Also, importantly, our son enjoyed the weekly sessions very much and has developed some great new skills for school. Thank you” – Oliver, father of 6-year-old Jayden, an amazing child with sensory sensitivities, February 2020
“I feel extraordinarily grateful Julia is involved in Jack’s journey towards being the best possible version of himself. She is a beautiful soul and her zen approach makes me feel so positive about Jack’s future. Jack thinks she’s the bee’s knees” – Lucy, mother of 12-year-old Jack, a talented young man with Developmental Coordination Disorder, November 2019
“When we needed some help with our son’s transition to school, Julia assessed him and helped him with a number of one-to-one sessions. We were very impressed with Julia’s insights, dedication and professionalism. Also importantly, our son enjoyed the weekly sessions very much and has developed some great new skills for school.” – Alex, father of 6 year old Jayden, amazing child with sensory sensitivities
“It was so lovely to meet you this morning. Thank you for the beautiful way you assessed Jack – you are a very special person indeed.” – Anna, mother of 9 year old Jack who completed a comprehensive assessment
“I was so impressed with how you engaged Jack in the exercises. I do worry about the impact of being ‘assessed’, but that looked like fun! Thanks again.” – Anna, mother of a 9 year old boy with handwriting difficulties, March 2019
“It was a pleasure to work with Julia. She was easy to talk to and also easy to approach. Julia will go out of her way to help me find out things so that I can help my daughter… My daughter always had a smile on her face when she was working with Julia. Julia would come up and do activities that my baby would enjoy and at the same time would challenge her. We will miss Julia very much and on behalf of the Fa’amasino family thank you very much.” – Afiafi, mother of a 9 year old girl with disabilities
“Julia is an experienced occupational therapist. Her friendly and professional manner enables ease of communication, resolution of issues and execution of tasks. I have worked with Julia over a period of 11 months and appreciate her can-do attitude. Highly recommended.” – Bhavna, Special Education Teacher
“It has been amazing working alongside and learning from Julia Mason. She is outstanding in her guidance and delivery. The manner in which she shares her experience and knowledge as an occupational therapist is eloquent yet precise. She brings a team together with her clear vision and professional discussions, and is a great team player. I have thoroughly enjoyed working on projects and cases when she is on the team! Her dedication to the child, support of whanau and the way she enhanced activities and environments to best suit the learning and development of that individual is vivid and strong. Any child/whanau who has Julia on their team will be blessed.” – Cyndy, Special Education Teacher
Maggie van den Heuvel – Art Therapist
“Maggie’s positive attitude and freestyle approach to therapy has been so refreshing.
By focusing on art, it takes the attention away from the big issues and the pressure off having to put feelings into words. However, the issues do come up and are discussed in a less direct way. I was lucky enough to be in the room for the early sessions, and it was wonderful to experience Maggie’s kind, supportive and inspiring approach to therapy and to see my son’s confidence grow.
I love that she gives her clients the freedom to explore, to try new things and experiment. When challenges come up in the art process, Maggie works through how to resolve them. She empowers her clients by giving them the opportunity to lead the session, to make the decisions and gives them time and space, with lots of positive feedback.
We’ve tried traditional therapy before this, which felt awkward, uncomfortable and like being in the spotlight. Especially difficult for a young, shy kid to open up about personal issues. Maggies open, relaxed approach was amazing for my son, not like therapy at all. After six sessions, he’s more confident, more positive, happier and feels like he’s good at something. He’s been trying new things, is getting back to his favourite sports and seems less intimidated by difficult friendships at school.
I would recommend Maggie for any child that needs guidance and reassurance. We were facing depression and anxiety issues in our 12-year-old, but I feel like we’ve turned a corner at last. It also helped that our son is creative and really engaged with Maggie’s approach.” – Cathy Hansby, Mother, March 2021