Carolyn has a part-time private practice and currently also works for the Canterbury District Health Board as a Senior Clinical Psychologist in Paediatric Consult Liaison.

For the last decade she has worked primarily within the public health system including Child and Family Mental Health Services (Child Specialty Service at Whakatata House; Youth Specialty Service, CAF North Community and Outreach Team, the Mothers and Babies Service), the Child Development Service (ASD Assessment Team) and paediatric Medicine (Child Health). She has also worked as a Senior Lecturer within the University of Otago, Dept of Public Health and General Practice and the University of Canterbury, Department of Psychology.

In the 1990’s Carolyn was the National Coordinator for Balance NZ – Bipolar and Depression Network, an NGO supporting families/whanau and individuals/tangata whaiora affected by mood disorder. She was also longstanding board member of Bipolar Support Canterbury for many years.

Carolyn is an experienced Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychologist working primarily with children and young people from 0-25 years. She does provide individual treatment services to parents/caregivers and adults >25 years, where this fits with her scope of practice.

Carolyn’s areas of interest include: Anxiety, Attachment, Autism Spectrum (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, Child Development, Chronic Fatigue, Coping with Serious or Life Limiting Illness, Emotion Regulation, Gender Identity Assessments (< 18 years) for Endocrinology, Mood (Unipolar and Bipolar), Neuropsychological Assessment, Pain and Somatic Issues, Parenting Related Issues, Peer Supervision of Mental Health Professionals, Phobias, Postnatal Depression, Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress including Sexual Abuse/Sexual Violence, Tics/Tourettes and Trichotillomania.

Key treatment frameworks utilised include: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Developmental Dyadic Practice (DDP); Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) with an emphasis on ‘story-telling’.

Certificate of Community Psychiatric Care, University of Otago

BSc/BA (Hons) in Psychology, University of Canterbury

Masters of Applied Science (First Class Honours), Lincoln University

PhD (Psychological Medicine), University of Otago

Diploma of Clinical Psychology, University of Canterbury

Postgraduate Training in Infant Mental Health, University of Otago

EMDR Level I and II Training, EMDR Institute

Dyadic Developmental Practice Level I and II Training

Member of the NZ College of Clinical Psychologists

ACC Approved Counsellor/Therapist

Member of the New Zealand Pain Society