Meet our team
Dr. Sarah Watson, BA, MA(Hons), DClinPsych, MNZCCP
Founder, Managing Director & Senior Child & Adolescent Clinical Psychologist - Takapuna & Warkworth Clinics
Dr. Sarah Watson is the Founder, Managing Clinic Director at Totally Psyched and a registered Child & Adolescent Clinical Psychologist. Sarah has over ten years experience as both a Psychologist and leader across a variety of settings, all specialising in working with children, adolescents and their families.
Dr. Mirsad Begic, MBChB., FRANZCP (Cert Child & Adol)
Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist (Takapuna Clinic)
Dr Mirsad Begic is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with extensive experience working with children, families, adolescents and young adults. He holds senior roles in the clinical leadership team for the District Health Board and sits on boards for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry. Dr Mirsad is passionate about providing excellent care for young people and helping them to successfully navigate through their struggles and get back on track.
Paul Barber, M.Ed. Psych (Hons)., P.G. Dip. Ed. Psych., P.G. Dip. CBT (Dist)., Dip. Teaching (Primary), B.Soc.Sci., and Cert.Mentoring & Supervision
Senior Psychologist (Registered - Educational Scope) (Takapuna Clinic)
Paul Barber is an experienced specialist Psychologist in applying assessments and therapies for children and adolescents who experience a variety of psychological and/or learning challenges. With a background in specialist university level cognitive behavioural therapy with children and adolescents, special needs, brain injury and expert learning assessment and interventions Paul has a unique combination of skills.
Dayna Cooper, B.A., M.A. (Hons), MClinPsych, NZCCP
Child & Adolescent Clinical Psychologist / Clinical Coordinator
Dayna is a warm, friendly and approachable Clinical Psychologist with over a decade of experience working with children, adolescents and their families across a variety of settings. Dayna’s experience includes working with mild to moderate mental health issues in a youth development organisation, providing specialist neuropsychological assessment in a university clinic, and assessment and treatment of moderate to severe complex psychological concerns for the DHB Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. She is experienced in providing assessment and therapeutic intervention for children, adolescents and young adults who present with a wide range of mental health concerns, including and specialising in emotional dysregulation, eating disorders, trauma and abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety disorders and dissociative disorders.
Ivana (Iva) Draskovic, BSc (Psych), MPsych, MNZPS
Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologist - TELEHEALTH ONLY
Ivana ("E-va") is a New Zealand registered Clinical Psychologist with a wide range of experience. Specializing in working with children, adolescents and families Iva uses a comprehensive range of therapeutic skills and models to help young people reach their potential and live lives they love. Iva works via telehealth only since returning to Croatia to be with family.
Bruce Holroyd, M.A. (Hons), PGDipClinPsych
Senior Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologist (Takapuna Clinic)
Bruce is a highly experienced clinical psychologist who works with children, young people, families and adults where they are facing a range of difficulties and at times complex needs. Bruce believes in the capacity of individuals, parents and families to utilise the strengths and resources they have available with the support and expertise of someone who is non-judgmental, knowledgeable and sup
Dr Imogen Scott, BSc (Hons), DClinPsych, NZPS
Clinical Psychologist - Takapuna & Warkworth Clinics
Imogen is a Clinical Psychologist who is passionate about working with young people and their families, and prides herself on being friendly and approachable. She has experience in assessments and behavioural therapy, having worked clinically at Totally Psyched for years and prior to that spent time working at Youthline and the Centre for Learning, Integration and Managing Behaviour.
Claire Baynes, GradDipHSc
Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist - Takapuna Clinic
Claire is a registered psychotherapist working within the specialty of child and adolescent practice. She is warm and empathetic and creates a non-judgemental and supportive space for young people and their families. Her personal and theoretical philosophy highly regards the significance of connection and the innate human need to be in relationship with one’s self and one another.
Dr Kathryn Rees, BSc (Hons), PGCert Counselling in Education, DChEdPsych
Child and Educational Psychologist - Takapuna
Dr Kathryn is a Child & Educational Psychologist registered with the New Zealand Psychologist Board. She trained and worked in the UK prior to moving to New Zealand in 2017. She is experienced in working alongside families and educational professionals to complete assessments and develop intervention plans to support children/young people to develop social and emotional skills and reduce barriers to learning. She also has extensive experience enjoying therapeutic work with individual children, small groups of children, and families. Dr Kathryn enjoys working with children/young people with a range of presentations and characteristics, having particular interests in working with those who present with social, emotional and mental health needs and in working alongside parents and families.
Anel Kloppers, B.A., M.A. (Clinical Psychology & Play Therapy), MNZPS
Senior Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologist - Warkworth Clinic Only
Anel is a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist and Mindfulness Facilitator with a broad base of both knowledge, training and practice. She has worked in a busy private practice in South Africa as well as hospitals, including Weskoppies Hospital and Sizwe Tropical Disease Hospital. Anel has trained extensively in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness and Play Therapy, Child Psychotherapy and Family Therapy. She is a qualified Circle of Security psychologist , with a keen interest in the integration of insight-orientated psychotherapy and evidence-based behavioural and lifestyle interventions. Anel is passionate about her work with children, adolescents and families and she enjoys working with a broad range of presenting concerns - healing the whole child.
Dr Darryl-Lee Prince, BSc Biological Life Science, BSc Med Science, MBBCh
Medical Doctor (Psychiatry)
Dr Darryl-Lee is a Medical Doctor (Psychiatry) with over 20 years experience working in psychiatry with children and adolescents. Having originally trained in South Africa, Dr Darryl has been practicing in New Zealand since 2002. She has held a broad range of roles, principally in psychiatry including maternal mental health, infant mental health, eating disorders, primary care liaison and general psychiatry but Dr Darryl has a particular interest in psychiatry in children and adolescents. As such, she has spent most of her career working within child and adolescent mental health.
Evita Meerding, B.A., M.A.,(Child & Adolescent Psychology)
Psychological Therapist / Counsellor - TELEHEALTH ONLY
Evita has been a Registered Psychologist in the Netherlands for the past three years, having also spent time working in Hawaii before moving to New Zealand with her partner. Evita's passion in life is getting to know people and being able to make them see the beauty of their lives. Pinpointing what they can be grateful for as well as what they still need. To analyze the facts and clarify someone’s behavior is what makes me grateful for my work.
Anthony John, B.A., PGDipArts., M.A.(Hons), PGDipPsychPrac, NZPB
Child & Adolescent Psychologist - Warkworth
Anthony has extensive experience working with children, adolescents and families who are experiencing challenges with emotion and behaviour. He has worked in various Psychologist roles with behavioural support services including Youth Horizons Trust, Explore and in private practice.
Dr Loretta White
Clinical Psychologist - Warkworth
Loretta is a Clinical Psychologist with 13 years of postgraduate experience largely in Paediatrics, Health Psychology and a University Wellbeing context. She enjoys working with people at all ages of the lifespan and draws from a range of therapeutic models and approaches including ACT, CBT, EFT, DBT, Mindfulness, Narrative and Systemic Therapy. She also enjoys the richness and diversity of working in a multicultural environment.
Dr Persy Shroff, MBBS., FRANZCP
Consultant Psychiatrist - Takapuna Clinic
Dr Persy Shroff is a locally trained and qualified to work with both adults and children and adolescents, making him an ideal family psychiatrist. As a vocationally trained Consultant Psychiatrist accredited by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP) he cares deeply for the wellbeing of the whole family and as such offers his services across the age ranges (including parents/adults) at Totally Psyched. He provides excellent professional support and is known for having an easy and engaging manner, providing sound medical advice you can rely on.
Patricia Cruz, BSc (Psychology)., PGDipProfPsych, Master of Developmental & Educational Psychology
Psychologist
Pat is a warm and friendly Registered Psychologist who values making a genuine connection through empathy and shared understanding with her clients. She prefers to work collaboratively and is adaptable to the preferences of her clients.
Lee Willman, B.A., Dip. Counselling
Counsellor
Lee is an NZAC registered counsellor with an undergraduate psychology degree. Lee is warm, friendly and encouraging, and it is her privilege to work collaboratively with her clients to grow strengths and teach skills to enable them to walk with greater ease through their lives.
Frances Neill, BSc (Hons)., MSc (Psych), MClinPsych, MNZCCP
Clinical Psychologist
Frances is a registered Clinical Psychologist who completed her clinical training at Massey University. She has a warm and open approach, and enjoys working with children, teens and their families who are looking for support with a broad range of difficulties like anxiety, depression, anger, obsessions and compulsive behaviours, panic, sleep issues, toileting, and trauma.
Dr Kristina Lainson, BSc (Hons), PGDip (Couns), MNTCW, MSW, PhD, MNZAC
Senior Counsellor & Narrative Therapist - Warkworth
Kristina is a warm, friendly and empathetic counsellor who enjoys working creatively with young people and families to find effective solutions for difficult problems, so they can live life as they prefer. Building on her background in primary school teaching, she has worked in a variety of counselling, mental health and family support settings in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia since 2011.
Ruby Freeman, BSc (Hons), MSc (Hons), PGDipHealthSc, NZPB
Intern Counselling Psychologist
Ruby takes a strengths-based approach and is committed to providing a safe space for children, adolescents, and families to share and explore their concerns. She applies a collaborative and contextual lens to wellbeing acknowledging the impact of societal, cultural, familial, and spiritual factors on mental health with the aim of supporting people to overcome challenges and thrive. She aims to establish a shared understanding of difficulties and develop holistic, compassionate, practical, and effective skills to overcome them.
Jo Hathaway, BHSc (Hons), MHSc (Psych), NZPB
Intern Counselling Psychologist
Jo is a warm and friendly Intern Counselling Psychologist. She loves working with children, teens and their families, enabling and empowering them to develop tools to enhance their personal, social and educational functioning.
Matthew Peacock , BAc (Hons), DClinPsych (in progress), MNZCCP (Student), NZPB
Intern Clinical Psychologist
Matt is a friendly and fun Intern Psychologist who is passionate about working with young people and their families. He prides himself on a collaborative, strengths-based, and compassionate approach to his practice. Matt has over five years of experience working with children and adolescents, across therapeutic, neuropsychological and academic settings. He practices principally from a Cognitive-Behavioural model, though also draws on narrative and systems theories. He also provides neuropsychological assessment.
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