Our People
Te Ara Sophia holds a variety of resident practitioners, groups and therapists that are specialists in their field.
Find out more about each practitioner and activity below and simply make contact with them for more information.
AnamOra
Chiropractic, Acupuncture & Yoga Therapeutics. Oriental, Nutritional and Plant Medicine; Counselling & Lifestyle Change. International Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional
Based in Ōtautahi, Wairewa - Aotearoa. Christchurch & Little River - New Zealand
Contact: Anna McAnndra
03 325 1155 | annamcanndra@gmail.com
The Art of Acupuncture
The Art of Acupuncture provides a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the world; an opportunity to re-connect with the essence of yourself, and a chance to find your calm, happy space. We offer a range of services including Acupuncture, Massage for relaxation, Tuina, Acupressure and energy healing, to help you regain and retain excellent health. Treatments are tailored to the individual, unique and highly personal.
Contact: Vanessa Bevin
029 777 6660 | artofacupuncture.co.nz
Jessie Davidson
Anthroposophical medicine understands the human to be a free and ever evolving entity. The person is considered through a fourfold lens with physical, etheric, astral and ego, "I" components.
Nursing therapies aim to bring harmony to the human being as a whole and restore equilibrium and good health.
I feel passionate and excited to be able to offer them from my practice in the Te Ara Sophia Centre in Opawa
Contact: Jessie Davidson
021 256 3814 | JessieDavidsonRNFCAN@gmail.com
Julie Frew
Registered Paediatric Occupational Therapist. Julie provides relational, strengths-based, ND-affirming support for neurodivergent tamariki and their whānau.
Mentored by Robyn Ritchie and Emma Ratcliff, Julie specialises in using a sensory integration-based approach, drawing on the neurobiology of sensory processing and relational neurosciences to build connection to self, others and the world around us.
Paediatric occupational therapy supports participation and a sense of fulfilment in daily life at home and kindy or school.
Contact: Julie Frew
groundedot.co.nz
Sonia Frost - Find Harmony
Contact: findharmony@icloud.com
Godfrey Medical Thermography
Emily is a thermography technician providing breast health checks using thermal imaging. Clinical Thermography is based in Tauranga, where Dr. Mike Godfrey began the nationwide service in 2002. Breast thermography is a non-contact, radiation free method of assessing breast health.
Contact: Emily Boulcott
07 543 0832 | clinicalthermography.co.nz
Free phone (0800) 102-888
Simone Hamblett Eurythmy
Eurythmy Therapy is an active movement therapy and part of the anthroposophical medicine. The basic elements and tools are the sounds of speech which are translated into movement gestures. Each vowel and consonant holds a distinct movement quality, effectively relates to inner physiological life processes of our organs and is aligning them with their healthy “archetypal image”.
Indications: Respiratory illnesses, Cancer, Illnesses of the Metabolic system, neurological illnesses and more...
For children: Allergies, Bedwetting, Tooth malformations, Anxiety, Asthma, Oversensitivity.
Contact: Simone Hamblett
Healing Touch
Deb Carter
Growing up where the ocean meets the native forest I am inspired to listen and hear nature calling the Soul.
Based in Christchurch I have a full time clinical practice encompassing Healing Touch, Esoteric Healing, Guided Imagery, Sound Work and Mentorship. My background in Teaching has motivated me to become an Instructor of Levels 1-4 in Healing Touch, with over 24 years of experience. I’m currently on the HTNZ Committee as Instructor representative and lead the Education committee.
Maori Esoteric Healing Studies have continued to gift me the spiritual understandings of the ancient ways of honouring spirit in all things. Combined with my ancient Celtic roots, Healing Touch continues to echo these beliefs. I love to empower individuals to recognise their full potential and teach them how to access and manage their own energy on their soul’s journey at this time.
Singing with a Global Acapella group for 25 years feeds my passion for song and healing sounds. I am a Threshold singer offering peaceful harmonies and healing at bedside for palliative care patients and support for families.
Deborah Carter 2016 – Application for Practitioner recertification
Contact: Deb Carter CHTIP, CHTII
0276 016 800 | deb@carter.net.nz
healingtouchnz.com
Natalia Henderson-Faranda
Kia ora! I'm Natalia, a speech language therapist based in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. I work with children and young people along with their whānau to help support communication development from preschool to high school. My areas of interest are developmental language disorder (DLD), literacy and autism. I strive to be neurodiversity affirming in my practice, and recognise that this is a long journey of learning!
Contact: Natalia Henderson-Faranda
027 303 4415 | nataliahfspeech.com
HopeFull Therapies
During her thirty years nursing experience, Rachel Parr has worked in Child & Adolescent Health, Practice Nursing (urban and rural) Public Health and Addiction Recovery. She has further training in counselling and Anthroposophical Nursing.
Rachel nurses from the realisation that each of us are influenced and affected by our social and environmental background, along with our life stage and daily habits. All of these elements have an impact on our physical, mental and/or spiritual health at any given time. Her nursing approach is to meet with each person to find ways to support and strengthen their natural regenerative ability.
Contact: Rachel Parr
rachelparr.hopefull@gmail.com
Ali Hunter
Contact: Ali Hunter
Registered Clinical Psychologist
PhD., MPsych(Clin), M.Sc(Hons), BA, MNZCCP
021 0222 6001
Isabella Roigard - Iduneir Beauty
Bespoke Holistic Skin Therapy
Isabella is a fully qualified beauty therapist and skin care specialist. Her journey in the beauty industry started 15 years ago in Sweden. Taking the best that nature and skincare technology can offer, she works with you to address the root cause of skin conditions and support your skin’s natural ability to heal itself. She offers traditional beauty services, relaxing spa therapies and more advanced skincare treatments.
Reconnections
Family and Individual Coaching and Mentoring, Parent Education
I believe that true empowerment and fulfilment come from a deep sense of self-awareness and self-acceptance, as well as a strong connection to our values, purpose, and sense of meaning in life while maintaining close connections to others with compassion.
My coaching and mentoring approach takes a holistic view of individuals and families, recognising that our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are interconnected and essential to living a fulfilling life.
Whether you're seeking support to overcome challenges, improve your relationships, find meaning and purpose in your life, or cultivate greater self-awareness and acceptance, my coaching and mentoring approach is designed to support your holistic wellbeing and empower you to create and live the life you desire.
Parent Education on various topics also available on request.
Contact: Jaana Mannonen-Walker
027 222 9290 | jaana@reconnections.co.nz
Bridie McCrostie
Art as Conversation
Briedi McCrostie is a registered creative arts therapist (AThR) offering private arts therapy sessions at Te Ara Sophia. Arts therapy is a gentle form of psychotherapy that utilises the arts to aid communication, self-expression, regulation and processing. Arts therapy can help those who are currently experiencing a wide range of emotional, behavioural, and mental health needs, regardless of their age, ability, skill set, or background. Briedi offers short to long-term support focused on supporting a client's ability to safely connect with their own body and story in a way that allows growth, healing, and connection with self and others.
Contact: Briedi McCrostie briedi@artasconversation.com
www.artasconversation.com
Deb McFadyen
I have provided therapy for children, teenagers, and adults with 25+ years of experience in schools, University, and specialist residential treatment agencies. I draw from a number of therapeutic modalities that enables me to provide psychological and counselling support for a broad range of concerns including mental health, mood and emotional regulation, disordered eating, complex trauma, and grief.
I am strengths-based, highlighting an individual's skills to enhance desired life outcomes, and believe in the development of self-efficacy and empowerment to overcome obstacles and challenges. I have a passion for nutrition and the role it plays in overall health and mental wellbeing.
I am a friendly and experienced counsellor, and offer a safe environment in a peaceful and supportive setting. I am passionate in helping individuals live fulfilling lives and believe therapy truly helps. My favourite quote from Brene Brown is having "a strong back, soft front and wild heart". I would like share more about this with you.
Contact: Deb McFadyen
027 223 8500
Connect Occupational Therapy
Contact: Rachel McFedries
rachel@connectoccupationaltherapy.com
connectoccupationaltherapy.com
Rata Midwives
We have a philosophy guided by Love, Respect, Partnership and Legacy. We have many years of experience and still have great passion for all we do. We work with people who mostly wish to birth at home but are really comfortable and experienced in all other venues and actively support and advocate for YOUR choices.
Contact:
ratamidwives@gmail.com ratamidwives.co.nz
Rita Noetzel
Rita offers Therapeutic Massage, Rhythmical Massage and is also a qualified Dr. Hauschka Esthetician. She has been involved in complementary medicine since 1987 and offers a wide range of treatments which are tailored to the client’s specific needs.
Massage therapy has proven to be useful for a wide range of conditions – some of which are – stress relief, muscle tension, depression, RSI, headaches, sciatica and arthritis. The effect on the physical body reflects in the mental wellbeing of the person as well.
Contact: Rita Noetzel
Not Just Readings
Kia ora everyone, I've decided to get back into Mirimiri - intuitive healing massage, I used to do this, and am feeling the push to restart. If you are wanting an intuitive healing massage I have a clinic space available for you to come and relax and restore your energy.
I'm available for Mirimiri, Healing, One on one meditation (includes past life regression, ancestral connections, connecting with guides, Akashic records, and more). Clairvoyant readings/mediumship, One on One Reiki attunemens (you receive certificate upon completion), I also do house and land clearings. I'm a certified Reiki master and certified relaxation massage therapist
I have a very strong link with my Tupuna who are within my spirit team who guide me within each session with you so that I can help you in ways that will support you while on your pathway.
I look forward to hearing from you. I'm available every weekend Saturday and Sunday and some week days by arrangement for appointments
Contact: Charlotte Price
027 375 9478
Roigard Naturopathic
Our Registered Naturopath, Stephen Roigard, has been working in the health and fitness industry for over 25 years. Stephen is also a qualified Clinical Nutritionist, Medical Herbalist, Personal Trainer and Health Coach. In addition to this he is certified as an instructor in yoga, dance and martial arts. His two children attend the Rudolf Steiner School. As a dedicated student of Anthroposophy for over 25 years, Stephen incorporates Steiner’s works into his life with veneration.
Contact: Stephen Roigard
stephenroigard.com
Toyo Hari Acupuncture Clinic
Toyohari is a refined system of meridian therapy and different from other forms of acupuncture in that it uses more delicate and specialised treatment methods, placing emphasis on the use of pulse diagnosis and palpation skills.
Matiu’s desire to deepen his understanding of healing led him to explore a variety of healing modalities, and was most impressed by the efficacy and thorough methodologies that is embraced by the Toyohari system. The feedback response allows the practitioner to constantly monitor the process and adjust the treatment accordingly.
Contact: Matiu Pearson
021 533 616 | matiupearson.co.nz
Pure Dynamics Craniosacral Therapy
Debby Sanders uses a holistic and gentle manual approach to perceive and facilitate the body’s movement dynamics and rhythms, in order to assist the expression of the inherent health within the system, resolving its historical patterns of stress, trauma, pathology and inertia.
Contact: Debby Sanders
Mareile Stoppel
As an ACC registered counsellor, Mareile is excited to bring body-centred trauma therapy to Te Ara Sophia. Mareile works with individuals and families to overcome trauma, including developmental and complex trauma. She offers a warm, safe environment and a creative approach to support a diverse range of people from all walks of life to explore their life, face their challenges, and find new perspectives. Mareile draws on over 20 years experience in agencies, schools, sexual abuse support services and private practice using a variety of therapeutic interventions including Somatic Experiencing Trauma Therapy (which can release stress in the body and reduce emotional blockage, allowing the person to become whole, stable and healthy again), EMDR, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Creative Arts and Sand-tray Therapy. She also has had the long standing privilege to work at the Rudolf Steiner School as a teacher and guidance counsellor supporting young people in their developmental process of transitioning to adulthood.
Somatic Experiencing® is a gentle yet potent psychobiological method for resolving trauma symptoms and relieving chronic stress. A research-based intervention, it assists the body in releasing pent up emotional charges that became trapped in the nervous system during traumatic events as anxiety and hyper-arousal states. In Somatic Experiencing we use inner resources, awareness of the bodily “felt sense” and slowing down to find balance and equilibrium.
Contact: Mareile Stoppel
mareilesnz@gmail.com
Insa York
Insa has a background of 30 years of meditation practice, holistic health and personal growth, where she has explored therapeutic models such as rebirthing, psychodrama, bodywork, inner child work, non-violent communication, and gestalt.
Insa is trained in person-centred counselling, a deeply relational approach that facilitates inner growth and self-awareness through reflective and congruent dialogue. In her empathetic, intuitive and creative presence, Insa welcomes people from all walks of life, of all ages and genders, ethnicities and spiritual beliefs. She works with a wide range of presenting issues including depression, anxiety, loss and grief, trauma, self-esteem, and addiction.
Contact: Insa York
insayorkbcoun@gmail.com
Kathryn Mackenzie
Finding the right words can be transformative. As can listening to the wisdom of the body. In psychotherapy we talk together and co-create a safe-enough space to process curiosity, difficulty and unease. At times an impulse towards other forms of creative expression, such as art and movement, can emerge.
Feelings of anxiety, low mood, stress and loneliness, or experiences such as adjusting to change, increased procrastination, disordered eating, being on edge, intrusive memories, less confidence, unwanted thoughts, sleep disturbances or relationship difficulties, and questions about identity or meaning for example – can all be explored.
Kathryn has 30 years’ experience as a psychotherapist, mainly in Aotearoa as well as in her native UK. She has worked with adults and rangatahi in many settings such as community agencies and schools as well as in private practice. She is a registered psychotherapist (PBANZ). At Te Ara Sophia she is excited to offer personal psychotherapy and professional supervision. She is an ACC treatment provider. Kathryn is qualified in gestalt, family therapy and cbt and enjoys ongoing study in psychoanalytic approaches.
Contact: Kathryn Mackenzie
020 403 59355 | thurlohouse@gmail.com