New Plymouth counselling service
At Aurora Centre we offer you a safe, confidential place, where you will be listened to, valued and empowered to work towards your own goals. We work with individuals, couples and their families.
People working with people
We offer you opportunities to:
discover who you are by exploring emotions, thoughts and behaviours
become more aware of yourself, values and what motivates you
develop your sense of well-being, self esteem and spirituality
do things differently
improve relationships
work out differences and conflicts
develop coping strategies to reduce and/or manage stress and anxiety
work through grief and the effects of trauma
We also offer Clinical Supervision and counselling via workplace Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
Meet the team
We are qualified, professional counsellors/therapists who respect the individuality of people and their cultures.
Beth Pottinger-Hockings
Marnie Lound
B.Agr.Sc., MNZAC, Cert. in Clinical Supervision (WelTech), Family Court Approved.
B.A.Social Science-Psychology (Massey), Cert. in Clinical Supervision (CIT), Certificate in Adult Learning (ASTU), MNZAC; Approved by ACC.
Is part of a blended family consisting of five adult children/stepchildren, 10 grandchildren & 2 great grandchildren. Her husband was terminally ill with cancer, but died in a farm accident in 2019. Her stepson died in the Loafers Lodge fire in 2023. Beth has lived and worked in Taranaki since 1978, as an agricultural engineering consultant, growing organic kiwifruit and as a parent extensively involved in the Playcentre movement. She has worked in communication and personal growth as a rebirther, tutor, mediator and was the trainer for Lifeline Taranaki for 8 years.
Beth has been a Counsellor at Aurora Centre since 1997 and as well as individuals, she sees many couples, and works as a clinical supervisor. Aside from family activities, she enjoys felting and textile art, creative sewing, reading, gardening and holistic health.
Lives with her partner and she has a married daughter and grandchild – her son died as a teenager. She was an accredited Lifeline Counsellor and trainer for 12 years and has tutored various groups in personal development and listening skills. She has been a full time Counsellor at Aurora Centre since 1995 and has graduated in the Hakomi method of Body Centred Psychology.
Marnie has expertise in a wide range of issues including trauma, sexual abuse and grief. She works mostly with individual adults and some couples. Marnie likes to keep fit and enjoys photography, travel, art, her garden and good movies.
Alex Jones
Sias Hoffman
Alex grew up in London and has lived in New Zealand since 2008, commencing a career in Counselling at this time. He is a father of three boys and is in a mixed‑cultural relationship (Japanese and Pākehā). Alex loves to surf, but often does not get time to do this anymore. Based in Taranaki, Alex provides face‑to‑face counselling sessions locally and offers video appointments to clients throughout the country.
Over his career, Alex has worked closely with kaupapa Māori services and clinicians in Northland, supported the rainbow community, and provided support for young people. His experience includes trauma, sexual abuse, violence prevention, relationship problems and abuse, addiction, mental health, and grief. He works with both individuals and couples.
Sias, an avid gardener, uses a self-enquiry approach as a talking therapy to help alleviate human suffering and address various psychological and emotional challenges and injuries. This includes depression, anxiety, trauma work, conflict, addictions, couples therapy, family therapy and supervision.
He began his career studying youth work and social work in South Africa before farming on the family farm in Zimbabwe for several years. However, his interest in family therapy led him to New Zealand to study Narrative Therapy at Waikato University. His goal is to foster kindness and maintain a sense of peace in his work and encourage his clients to do the same. Photo is of Sias in his gardening mode!
Appointments
You can book an appointment with us at anytime by contacting your chosen Counsellor directly.
Bookings
Fees
Feedback
During regular weekday working hours
We welcome self-referrals
Family Court, ACC, TPC & EAP approved Counsellors
Appointments can be made by phone, text or email
As an alternative to individual messages, you can leave a message on our landline voicemail with your name and number, or use the general enquiries form below
If we haven’t returned your call within 24 hours, please call us back.
Our fee is $130 - $150 including GST
If you cannot afford our full fee, please negotiate with your Counsellor
Sessions are 50 to 60 minutes
Low income families and beneficiaries may be eligible for assistance from WINZ (Disability Allowance) or via your Doctor. Discuss this with your WINZ Case Manager or Doctor before your first appointment with us.
If you have any problems while working with us, we would like to hear about your concerns, either verbally or in writing. We pride ourselves in offering a quality environment and service to our clients. We are always looking for ways to improve this. Feedback is therefore welcome and appreciated… the good stuff too of course!
We work under the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) code of ethics. If you believe your therapist has behaved in an unprofessional manner towards you, you may take the matter up directly with them, or contact: NZAC, P.O. Box 25154, Wellington 6140 or phone 04 471 0307
Our policy is to have one full working day’s notice of cancellations
Clients who do not turn up, cancel or change an appointment without providing 24 hours notice, will be charged for the session, or will lose a funded session.
Cancellations
Get in touch
Contact your chosen counsellor directly to make an appointment. We're located in central New Plymouth at 59 Lemon Street.
General enquiries
Reach out to us if you have any general enquiries we can help you with. We'll get back to you within 24 hours.