Dr Virginia Maskill

I am an experienced counsellor who offers confidential, non-judgemental, individual and couples counselling, clinical supervision and NZ Traffic Authority Assessments. I also specialise in completing assessments for people who are concerned about their alcohol and, or other drug use. This involves conducting an assessment to identify the specific needs of the person and formulating a plan aimed at meeting these. My aim will be to help you find the solutions that are right for you, in a supportive, collaborative way. As there is no 'one size fits all', our work together will take into consideration your personality, your goals and past life experiences. Together, these will help to formulate a plan that will identify strategies to help you move forward. I have more than 25 years of counselling experience working with people experiencing mental or physical health problems, including relationship, and, or substance use challenges. I also specialise in working with people living with bipolar disorder, or with other chronic mental health and, or physical health conditions, and working with their significant others.  I am also a registered nurse with more than 35 years' experience and have worked in various hospital and community settings as a registered nurse or a Paramedic. Settings included medicine, physical rehabilitation, and acute emergency medicine. I also worked for seven years as a counsellor and as a detoxification nurse at a hospital alcohol and drug outpatient service. In addition to my counselling practice, for the past 18 years I have had an academic appointment as a senior lecturer, and researcher with the University of Otago. My teaching and research interests are the treatment and self-management of long-term physical, mental health and substance use disorders, psychotherapy, and sociological approaches to illness and self-management practices. I have also been a member other health related research studies conducted by the National Addiction Centre, Otago University, Canterbury University, and a collaborative study undertaken by Yale University and the University of Otago. Counselling Training: I am trained in a variety of evidence-based therapy models including: - Emotionally Focused Therapy - Interpersonal Psychotherapy - Interpersonal Social Rhythms Therapy (an effective therapy working with people with bipolar affective disorder) - Solutions focused therapy - Motivational Interviewing - Brief Interventions Registrations and Professional Memberships: - Member of the NZ Association of Counsellors (MNZAC) - Member of the ICEEFT - International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy - Practitioner Member of the Drug and Alcohol Practitioners Association of Aotearoa-New Zealand (DAPAANZ) - Registered Clinical Supervisor - Registered Comprehensive Nurse (Nursing Council of New Zealand)