An unexamined life is not worth living – Socrates

Frequently Asked Questions

First Session

Your first session is a consultation to see whether we are a good fit. Please arrive 10 minutes early to complete paperwork. It isn’t required, but I welcome a recent dream if you remember one; dream material often helps me understand your inner landscape more quickly than conscious narrative alone.
During this consultation you are invited to ask about session frequency, fees, payment methods, my orientation and training, and how I work. I will explain my approach in plain language. If we both feel it’s a good match, we can schedule subsequent sessions; if I believe your needs would be better served elsewhere, I will provide appropriate referrals.
If we continue, I will outline the therapeutic framework (boundaries, timing, confidentiality, and communication between sessions). The framework exists to protect the work and support your healing, and I value your active involvement.

What Should I Expect From Therapy?

My orientation is Depth Psychology with a developmental lens. I understand people within their heritage, culture, and early environment, which can shape unconscious templates for adult life. Symptoms such as anxiety, depression, anger, or numbness are not moral failures; they are signals—the psyche’s way of drawing attention to what needs care and understanding.
We work collaboratively to listen to those signals and make room for insight, feeling, and change. I may invite dreamwork, art, music, journaling, and other creative methods to access unconscious material. As therapy progresses, you’ll often notice your inner themes appearing in these expressions, alongside the psyche’s own attempts at repair. If you use medication or other treatments, therapy can complement that care; we’ll coordinate respectfully.

How Long Do I Need to Be in Therapy?

There is no one-size-fits-all timeline. Pace and duration depend on the complexity of the concerns, the consistency of sessions, and your engagement between meetings. Reason and logic have limits; lasting change usually follows from insight, re-experiencing safely what was avoided, and finding your ways to live differently. Depth work asks for commitment, and the rewards—clarity, relief, sturdier relationships, renewed meaning—are typically worth the effort. When it’s time, we will plan a thoughtful termination so gains are consolidated.

Do You Take Insurance?

I do not bill insurance directly. If your plan allows out-of-network reimbursement, I can provide a receipt/superbill for you to submit. (If you’re unsure about coverage, please check with your insurer.)

Is Therapy Only for People With “Problems”?

No. Depth therapy also supports growth and self-actualization. Many people come not only to reduce symptoms but to deepen self-knowledge, reconnect with ancestry and culture, renew a sense of the sacred, and expand capacity for love, work, and joy. You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit.

Confidentiality & Safety

What you share is confidential within the limits of the law (for example, risks of harm to self/others or court orders). This practice is not an emergency service; if you are in immediate danger or crisis, please call 111 (NZ) or your local emergency number.

What Is the Next Step?

If you’d like to explore working together, please call +64 27 709 7701 to schedule an initial consultation. If we’re a good fit, we will map out a plan that respects your history, values, and goals.

Madhu, from Madhuban