The Psyched Approach

The Psyched Approach

How can we help?

Totally Psyched is a multi-disciplinary group practice of passionate and experienced child and adolescent mental health specialists including psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors and play therapists.

We work with a range of mental health, neurodevelopmental, cognitive and educational presentations and offer a wide variety of services to best understand and support your child and family. 

We offer a range of services including mental health, neurodevelopmental and cognitive/academic assessment; individual, group and family therapies, medication consultation, and much more!

We do accept self-referrals, and you can also refer via your GP or other professional sources.

See below for more information about the variety of supports on offer at Totally Psyched.

Please note: We are not a crisis or urgent service, and we cannot work with high or acute levels of risk. If you are concerned about the safety of a young person, please contact emergency services on 111, or click here for the details of your local mental health crisis team.

​You can be assured – every care will be taken with you and your family.

What can you expect?

 

Step 1: Contact

Please complete our online Contact Form to start your referral process.

 

Step 2: Referral

After you have completed our online Contact Form, our Referrals Team will send you the appropriate Referral Forms including consent, developmental and information forms. 

Please note, if your child is under 16 years old, we are bound by law to request formal consent from both legal guardians.

 

If you aren’t quite sure what you need, or what service/professional would be best – don’t worry! Our team will help you. Just simply express your concerns, and we will do the rest. If you do want a specific service or clinician, however, please clearly state this in your form and we will take all of this into consideration.

 

Step 3: Triage and Recommendations

Once you have completed these forms, each referral is personally triaged by our Clinical Manager, an experienced Senior Clinical Psychologist, to provide you with tailored recommendations through our services, based on the needs of your child. 

If we have some further questions, or require additional information to best advise you, one of our Clinical Team will contact you to do so.

Once triaged to ensure that we are the most appropriate service for you and your child, recommendations for next steps are sent through to you via email.

We aim to have this process completed within 2 weeks of receiving all of your completed forms.

 

Step 4: Welcome to Totally Psyched!

Depending on which part of the service you have been recommended, appointments are arranged, and our team look forward to welcoming you to one of our warm and friendly clinics. 

You may be asked to pay a deposit and complete pre-assessment questionnaires for certain services within Totally Psyched. This will all be explained to you in your triage recommendations.

 

 

Make a Referral

Our Services

All therapies start with an assessment, to develop a joint understanding of the concerns, including how they have developed, what triggers and maintains them, and what is helping. If appropriate, a mental health diagnosis is made based on the latest DSM-V international diagnostic criteria (American Psychiatric Association (2014). This assessment might also include the use of psychometric assessment (questionnaires) using international standard assessment systems with local normative samples.

Our standard initial mental health assessment is up to 90 minutes. Some clinicians conduct these with the parents and child together; others conduct these with the parents alone. You will be advised of this depending on the clinician you are working with.

The first appointment usually includes a comprehensive discussion about both the concerns the young person’s earlier development leading up to them. Exactly what is asked will depend on what the presenting concerns are, and what your goals are for coming to Totally Psyched. and goals for coming are.

If there are any safety concerns, these will be assessed and a plan developed to address them in the first appointment – please be sure to bring any safety concerns up immediately so support can be put in place.

When the assessment is complete, a plan for further formal assessment or therapy will be discussed and agreed upon collaboratively with you and your therapist.

This often means weekly or fortnightly appointments (or ‘sessions’ as they are called), and the frequency and duration of these sessions varies for everyone. Your clinician will guide you. How long it takes generally depends on the severity and complexity of the disorder/difficulties and the motivation of the person or people in therapy. As you can imagine, if there are multiple challenges and an unmotivated individual, then more time will likely be needed.

Individual Mental Health Assessment | Totally Psyched
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Specific therapies are recommended or selected based on whether we are working with a child, adolescent, young adult or family system; the kind of difficulty they are facing, and what research evidence shows is the most effective.

Our clinicians are widely trained and skilled in a range of therapies including:

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
  • Behavioural Therapy (including Applied Behavioural Analysis – ABA)
  • Psychoanalytic & Gestalt Therapy
  • Schema Therapy
  • EMDR
  • Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (please see below section for more information about this approach)
  • Play Therapy
  • Sand Tray Therapy
  • Creative Arts Therapy
  • Narrative Therapy & Counselling
Individual Mental Health Assessment | Totally Psyched
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Child and Teen ADHD Assessments at Totally Psyched

In New Zealand currently these ADHD assessments and diagnoses are carried out by specialist clinicians, including psychologists, psychiatrists, and paediatricians.

At Totally Psyched, our ADHD pathway is led by our highly trained psychologists. We do not offer a psychiatry-only assessment; however, families may choose to book a separate medication consultation with our psychiatric team following the assessment.

Who This Assessment Is For

Our ADHD assessments are designed for children and adolescents aged 6–18 years.

We take a gentle, strengths-focused, multi-informant approach, bringing together insights from whānau, teachers, and our clinical team to build a complete and affirming picture of your young person’s neurodevelopment.

What You Can Expect

As part of our internationally recognised, gold-standard process, your child’s assessment is completed by a psychologist who specialises in neurodevelopment across childhood and adolescence.

Our multidisciplinary team works together to ensure every assessment is thoughtful, accurate, and truly reflective of the young person being seen.

An ADHD assessment at Totally Psyched includes:

  • Pre-assessment questionnaires completed by parents, teachers, and (where appropriate) the young person.
  • A full clinical interview exploring developmental history, current concerns, and potential ADHD symptoms.
  • Neuropsychological testing (CATA and/or CPT) completed on the day to measure attention, focus, impulse control, distractibility, and sustained concentration compared with same-age peers.
  • A team discussion and clinical formulation following testing.
  • Up to 60 minutes of feedback with your clinician on the day of assessment.

The assessment appointment typically runs for around 2 hours, followed by an hour break for our clinicians to review and integrate the information gathered, and the feedback session afterwards. Allow for approx. 4 hours

This assessment screens for other common childhood mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions such as anxiety, depression, and autism but does not provide formal diagnosis for these.

It also does not include learning or cognitive testing (e.g., dyslexia or learning disorders). These are available separately through our Cognitive and Academic Assessment service.

What You Will Receive

No matter the outcome, you will leave the assessment with:

  • A deeper, clearer understanding of your child’s unique neurodevelopmental profile
  • Strengths-based recommendations for home, school, and wellbeing
  • Guidance around supports, accommodations, and next steps
  • A comprehensive diagnostic report, including all testing, observations, and recommendations
  • Access to parenting support groups and ADHD coaching

If you would like to explore medication options, a separate medical consultation with our psychiatric team can be booked after the assessment. Your clinician will discuss this with you at your feedback session.

What We Assess

Our ADHD assessment covers inattentive, hyperactive, and combined ADHD presentations.

It typically includes:

  • Comprehensive clinical interview with a specialist psychologist
  • ADHD questionnaires completed by parents, teachers, and adolescents
  • School information and teacher observations
  • Psychological and psychiatric screeners to help rule in/out other conditions
  • Specialist neuropsychological testing

All results are interpreted carefully and respectfully, recognising that every neurodivergent young person brings their own strengths, needs, and ways of being

Pricing

Pricing for ADHD assessments varies depending on the complexity and specific needs of each young person and their whānau.

Because every child presents differently, and some assessments require more extensive clinical time, testing, or multidisciplinary input, we provide tailored pricing once we have reviewed your referral and triaged the level of support required.

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Child and Teen Autism (ASD) Assessment at Totally Psyched

In Aotearoa New Zealand, autism (ASD) assessments can be carried out by psychologists, psychiatrists, and specialist paediatricians. At Totally Psyched, we provide gold-standard, neuro-affirming autism assessments led by our highly trained child and adolescent psychologists, working within a multidisciplinary team.

We recognise that autism is not something to be “fixed,” and our focus is on understanding each young person’s strengths, sensory profile, communication style, and support needs. Our approach respects individuality, diversity, and the lived experience of neurodivergent children and teens.

Who the Assessment Is For

This assessment is for children and young people aged 6–18 years, using a combination of information gathered from parents, teachers, and our clinical team.

An ASD assessment at Totally Psyched includes:

  • Pre-assessment questionnaires from parents, teachers, and (where suitable) the young person, helping us understand their world from multiple viewpoints.
  • A collaborative clinical interview acknowledging strengths, interests, values, challenges, and developmental history.
  • Neuropsychological testing (ADOS) this is a structured, play- and interaction-based session tailored to the child’s age and language level. One clinician leads the ADOS session, while a second clinician documents observations in real time. This ensures accuracy, reduces bias, and allows for a more holistic clinical interpretation.
  • A team discussion and formulation, where the clinicians reflect together to ensure a well-rounded and neuro-affirming understanding and form a clinical conclusion
  • Up to 60 minutes of feedback, where we talk through results, strengths, and supportive next steps.

The assessment usually involves around 3 hours of clinical time, followed by a team formulation break, and a feedback session later the same day.

Feedback Session

After the team’s review, we provide a comprehensive verbal explanation of the findings. Whether an autism diagnosis is reached or not, families leave with:

  • A clearer understanding of the young person’s neurotype
  • Strength-based insights
  • Practical support recommendations
  • Guidance for school, home, and future pathways

A formal diagnostic report is also provided

Assessment Team Structure

To ensure best-practice quality and developmental appropriateness:

  • Ages 6–13: Three clinicians are involved (interviewer + ADOS assessor + ADOS observer).
  • Ages 13+: Two clinicians are involved (interviewer/assessor + observer).

This structure maintains gold-standard integrity while tailoring the team to the young person’s communication and developmental level.

Pricing

Pricing for ASD assessments varies based on complexity, age, and the size of the clinical team required.
A tailored quote is provided after referral review and triage so that families receive transparent, individualised information.

Specialist Autism Spectrum (ASD) Assessment | Totally Psyched
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AuDHD (Combined ADHD + ASD) Assessment at Totally Psyched

Some children and young people experience a combination of both Autism (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)—often referred to as AuDHD. This neurotype is increasingly recognised in research and clinical practice.

At Totally Psyched, we offer a comprehensive, neuro-affirming AuDHD assessment designed to understand the whole young person—their strengths, sensory world, attentional profile, communication style, and the supports that will help them thrive.

Our AuDHD assessment follows the same gold-standard structure as our ASD assessment, using a three-clinician team and multidisciplinary review process to ensure accuracy, integrity, and depth.

Who the Assessment Is For

This assessment is suitable for children and young people aged 6–18 years, where either:

  • Autism and ADHD are both already suspected
  • There is uncertainty about whether one or both neurotypes are present
  • A previous diagnosis requires clarification due to overlapping features

Our Neuro-Affirming AuDHD Assessment Process

  • Pre-assessment questionnaires from parents, teachers, and (where suitable) the young person, helping us understand their world from multiple viewpoints.
  • A collaborative clinical interview acknowledging strengths, interests, values, challenges, and developmental history.
  • Neuropsychological testing to explore how attention, focus, impulse control, and concentration patterns show up for your child in comparison to peers.
  • ADOS Assessment (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) As with our ASD pathway, the ADOS is used as a gold-standard tool for exploring autism-related communication and interaction differences.
  • A team discussion and formulation, where clinicians reflect together to ensure a well-rounded and neuro-affirming understanding, formulating a diagnosis
  • Up to 60 minutes of feedback, where we talk through results, strengths, and supportive next steps.

 Assessment Team Structure

To ensure the most robust and accurate evaluation, this service involves:

  • Three clinicians for ages 6–13 and two for 13+ which follows the same structure used in our ASD pathway.

This allows us to observe and evaluate both neurodevelopmental profiles simultaneously and thoroughly.

Pricing

AuDHD assessment pricing varies depending on age, complexity, and assessment components required.
A personalised quote is provided after triage and referral review.

Educational & Academic Assessment is usually helpful if/when:
– an underlying learning/intellectual disability or difficulty is suspected, providing a clearer picture of what areas are affected and recommendations for what will help
– a school needs to make an application for Special Assessment Conditions for exams

The usual process
Educational Assessment is carried out by our Senior Specialist Educational Psychologists
– Brief Initial Consult (15-30 mins)
– Intellectual (cognitive) assessment (60-90 mins)
– Academic assessment (120 mins)
– Full verbal feedback about the results and recommendations with parents and with child/adolescent if preferred (60 mins)
– Comprehensive report with assessment findings, diagnoses (if relevant), Special Assessment Conditions application & recommendations for school &/or home
– Internal referral to multidisciplinary team for further support where needed (with shorter/no wait times and team discussion in support)
TOTAL COST: $2,130 (incl gst)

Educational Cognitive & Academic Assessment | Totally Psyched
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a specialist form of therapy that helps individuals process and heal from traumatic memories and other distressing life experiences.

It involves using bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, sounds or tactile experiences such as tapping, while focusing on a specific memory, allowing the brain to naturally reprocess and integrate the experience, reducing its emotional intensity.

 We have a fantastic team of trained clinicians at Totally Psyched who can work with children, adolescents and young adults using this specialist modality of therapy.

 

What can EMDR be used for? 

In addition to its use for the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, EMDR has been successfully used to treat anxiety and panic attacks, phobias, sleep problems, anger, grief and loss, addictions, chronic pain, and feelings of worthlessness/low self-esteem.

 

How long does treatment take? 

EMDR can be brief focused treatment or part of a longer psychotherapy treatment plan. EMDR can be easily integrated with other approaches in which your therapist might be trained, such as Psychodynamic psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or Cognitive Behavior Therapy. For best effects, EMDR sessions during the actual reprocessing phases of treatment usually last from 60 to 90 minutes. Positive effects have been seen after one session of EMDR. 

 

How do I know if EMDR is right for me?

Your referral will be triaged by our Clinical Manager/Senior Clinical Psychologist to ensure that EMDR is the right approach for you. It may be that you are recommended an EMDR clinician straight away, or this may be something that is suggested after another piece of therapeutic work is done first. Safety and stability are key pre-requisites to EMDR therapy, so please get in touch if you think EMDR would be right for your child.

Parenting Support | Totally Psyched
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Psychiatry/Medication consultation is available for Totally Psyched clients after specialist assessment/consultation from a Totally Psyched psychologist or therapist.

 

Our Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists are available to discuss diagnoses and medication options, review your current medication and/or make medication adjustments as part of your child’s treatment plan. They are also available for specialist diagnostic support if there are complex needs.

 

We are unable to offer stand-alone Psychiatry Appointments 

This can include for:

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Depression and other Mood Concerns
  • Anxiety
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Tourette’s & Tics
  • Autistic Spectrum (ASD) related anxiety/anger/agitation
  • Emotional or Behavioural Regulation difficulties
  • Sleep difficulties

 

Family Therapy | Totally Psyched

Group Therapies

Totally Psyched run a range of different groups throughout the year, depending on demand. Regular groups held at Totally Psyched are:

  • Mind over Matter
  • Parenting the ADHD Brain
  • Parenting the AuDHD Brain 
  • Wise Minds 

For more information email admin@psyched.org.nz 

Parenting the ADHD Brain:

A 6-week ADHD Workshop Series for parents providing friendly support, information and strategies for understanding of your child’s ADHD diagnosis, and how to support and manage their needs.

This group is run by our neurodevelopmental specialists.

COST: $695 per person. If a second/parent guardian also wishes to attend, they can do so for a 50% discount.
TERM 1 2026 23rd Feb -30th March, Mondays 4-6pm  
CAPACITY: 16 attendees

Mind Over Matter:

Mind Over Matter is a group about overcoming adversity on the journey toward the life we want to live. This 10-week group will provide young people with tools to take on challenges and opportunities, as well as the emotions that go with them.

Mind Over Matter is a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) group for Young People. ‘Cognitive’ meaning the way we think about our self, the world, and the future. ‘Behavioural’ meaning the things we do or don’t do in response to the world around us and the experiences inside us.

Low mood and high anxiety will be specifically targeted with skills focussing on emotion education, relaxation, mindfulness, thought strategies, interpersonal skills, graded exposure plans, problem solving, and reducing vulnerabilities.

Mind over Matter will be facilitated by Matt Peacock Inter Clinical Psychologist.

COST: $895 per person for 10 sessions

TERM 1 2026 11th Feb-8th April, Wednesdays 3.30-5pm 

AGE RANGE: 13+

CAPACITY: 8-10 attendees

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Family based approaches are available to support individuals and the entire whanau, as required:

– Narrative Family Therapy
– Systemic Family Therapy

Family Therapy | Totally Psyched