Kia ora. I’m Rajna, Founder and Managing Director of First Response Health - an organisation that has been a dream of mine since I started working with the emergency services more than 10 years ago.

While I have always been inspired by the dedication and passion of those on the frontline, I was also concerned by the toll such dedication took on their professional and personal lives. This population, and their families, have unique challenges and needs that require highly specialised psychological support. I am honoured that we are able to provide that.

People’s capacity to change, recover, and thrive never ceases to amaze me. I first learned this valuable lesson working with victims and witnesses of war at various United Nations Criminal Courts in the Netherlands, as well as psychologically supporting survivors of genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most recently I was a police psychologist with Victoria Police and the emergency medical response psychologist within the Country Fire Authority in Melbourne.

I practice as a clinical psychologist, and at First Response Health, I offer my specialised experience in the neuropsychology and physiology of stress and trauma, relationship dysfunction, workplace and personal stress, trauma related disorders, anxiety and mood disorders and overall psychological injury prevention. I work with couples and adults.

A healthy mind is supported by a healthy body so when I am not at work I love to get out into nature. While I am here to help you today, my goal is to enable you to help yourself in the future. I look forward to meeting you and discussing the best way I can support you to thrive in your life.

Hi, I’m Paul, when I started out studying psychology I wanted to combine two somewhat different ways of looking at the world. The first was my clinical psychology interest in finding out everything that I could about what makes individuals think, feel and act in the ways that they do. I wanted to figure out how you can work with people to help them thrive, rather than having them just muddle through the pressures and stresses that life inevitably throws at them.

Second, I was interested in studying the external factors that make people the way they are and that increase their chances of being happy. This interest led me into also studying social psychology – the psychology of the groups, organisations, communities, cultures and societies that people work and live in.

So I now work half-time with individuals as a clinical psychologist and half-time with high-level management in health, social and other organisations to help them develop, implement and measure their strategies for improving community wellbeing.

Relevant to working with first responders, I have undertaken organisational-level work with the NZ Police and the NZ Defence Force and my clinical psychology master’s degree thesis focused on issues related to Police dealing with trauma.

When I work with first responders, or with other clients, I am not just interested in helping them fix the current issues they face. Instead I want to help them work out how they can use the fact that they have some current issues to help springboard themselves into living better.

When not working in psychology, I spend time with my family, go hiking, do mindfulness meditation, read extensively, write for and comment in the media sometimes, and play guitar in a band focusing on New Zealand classic hits.

Hi, I'm Mandie, I began my career on the frontline, joining the Royal New Zealand Navy at the age of 18 and qualifying as a medic. I worked all over the South Pacific and was deployed to the Middle East where I found myself literally on the front-line, hanging out of helicopters, participating in dangerous exercises and working with people in extreme circumstances. It was without a doubt one of the most intense, rewarding and life changing experiences of my life. It is hard to describe the bond that you create with your shipmates and the trust that you have for one another. I also realised that resilience needs support which inspired me to pursue a career in psychology and took me into working with charities and social services in New Zealand.

I now practice as a counselling psychologist and at First Response Health, I offer my specialised experience in workplace and personal stress, trauma related disorders, anxiety and mood disorders and overall psychological injury prevention and post traumatic growth. My experience spans all stages of life and I work with children, adolescents and adults.

It is not often that a first responder can talk to their own but as a former front-line worker I have unique insights and know the every-day realities that face my colleagues on the job that do not leave when you get home.
On the weekends I love spending time with my family, particularly when we go kayaking. If the weather isn't so great, I will be at home, playing my electric piano and guitar. I am excited to meet you and find collaborative solutions for your mind and body that work with your professional and personal needs.

Kia ora, my name is Chantal Hofstee. I'm originally from the Netherlands but have been living in beautiful New Zealand for the past 11 years. I studied at the University of Amsterdam where I achieved my degree with honors and started my career there working in forensics. In forensics, I have learned so much and gained valuable experience in assessments, group facilitation and therapy skills through working with people with high- and complex needs.

In 2014, I started a private practice specializing in treating depression, anxiety and burn-out, became a published author and started facilitating business workshops and training with a focus on research based Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy strategies, preventing burnout and leadership skill development. This work took me into many companies and organizations such as Deloitte, KPMG, Vector, ANZ, AA, Phd, Red Bull, Les Mills, Te Pukenga and many more.

I love educating and inspiring people with research based lifestyle and psychological strategies to improve their (mental) health, wellbeing and leadership skills. However it is equally rewarding to come alongside someone dealing with trauma or high levels of psychological stress and guide them back to a place of wellbeing.

I live with my family on a small farm on the foot of Mount Taranaki and balance my work with my young family and enjoy spending time with friends and family, surfing and horseback riding.

Hi, I’m Duska and I have been a Clinical Psychologist for over 12 years. I completed my Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at the University of Newcastle followed by Clinical PhD/Masters at Macquarie University (MQ), Sydney Australia. During my time at MQ, I was involved in the research and delivery of world-renowned anxiety programs. These included the Cool Kids Program for children and specialised Anxiety Programs for adults, including social and anxiety generalized.

My extensive knowledge of anxiety disorders has provided me with the skills to develop assessments and treatments for a number of mental health presentations including depression, anxiety, stress, adjustment disorders, sleep disorders, trauma, relationship and parenting difficulties.

I primarily work from a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Schema Therapy approach which I have implemented in private practices, community settings, inpatient and outpatient hospital units, schools and universities.

I have a passion for digging deeper and helping people understand how their life experiences have shaped their core beliefs and views of themselves and the world. I also enjoy working with couples and relationships using the Gottman Therapy framework. Corporate wellbeing and coaching is also an area of interest for me.

I had the privilege to live and work in Kuala Lumpia, Malaysia from 2018-2020, which expanded my knowledge and experience of working with people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Being of an ethnic background myself, this fulfilled my desire in helping people of all cultures and backgrounds and to be able to provide them with access to quality evidence-based treatment.

I have a deep passion for working collaboratively with clients to give them the skills and practical tools to increase self-awareness and self-compassion and create emotionally rich and meaningful lives.

In my free time I love to read, travel and spend time with my family and friends.

Kia Ora, I’m Michelle. Life can throw us many challenges which can be difficult to cope with. I am here to help you through these times. Providing a warm supportive accepting environment, we can work together to gain a better understanding of these. I will give the skills to manage the challenges now and in the future, so you’ll be better prepared to live the life you want.

My career started as a high performing athlete, travelling around the world training and competing at world class events. From this I gained a passion for performance and the mental aptitude that went into performing at our optimum and being the best version of ourselves.

Working within corporate organisations I saw the opportunity to genuinely help people and decided to further my studies towards my passion and become a Counselling Psychologist. This has seen me working across all life stages, working with children, adolescents and adults. I work with anxiety and mood disorders, behavioural difficulties, improving performance, work place stress and difficulties with stressful life events.

At First Response Health I offer both face to face or online consultations in locations at Ellerslie and St Heliers. I primarily use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness techniques. I use therapies that best support your needs, which may include an integrated approach.

In my free time I like going on adventures and being active with my family. I also like dancing, reading and spending time with friends and family.

MARY IS CURRENTLY ON LEAVE HOWEVER WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM FEBRUARY 2024.

Kia ora, I’m Dr Mary Miller, Clinical Psychologist. Originally from the UK, I moved to New Zealand/Aotearoa in 2003, and studied a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Massey University. I have been practising as a registered Clinical Psychologist for the past 6 years and currently live in Auckland.

I’m passionate about working with people and organisations to help them build mental wellness and resilience. I specialise in responding to the strains of modern life - for a range of issues including life and career changes, stress, burnout, anxiety, sleep disturbance, low self-esteem, low mood and worry. I've noticed those in positions of responsibility and leadership tend to be very hard on themselves and have a strong drive to achieve. While these abilities may have given recognition and success, it often comes at a cost.

Sometimes you might feel stuck or isolated, there may be an area in life which is causing you distress, or an event happens that upsets your sense of equilibrium. Having the time and space to talk about these difficulties can help you to find new perspectives, develop useful insights and learn skills so that you can get on with the things in life that matter to you.

I place an emphasis on working collaboratively in an empowering manner using evidence-based treatments where we can work together to create positive change. I draw on a range of approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), mindfulness based approaches and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT). My honours degree in Human Biology allows me to bring a strong understanding of physiological processes and how these interact with mental wellbeing.
At First Response Health I provide evidence-based psychological services for high performers. I work in a professional, warm, and non-judgemental way according to your goals and needs to help you to lead a fulfilling and purposeful life.

I balance my work with time spent cooking, laughing with friends, and walking at the beach.