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Tēnā koutou katoa

Ko Taranaki toku maunga

Ko Te Henui toku awa

Ko Ngati Pākehā toku iwi

Ko Deborah French toku ingoa.

I was born in Taranaki and spent many years living in Auckland and then London before settling back in Taranaki. I am an Arts therapist/working in private practise in central New Plymouth. Mondays I am based in high schools as a guidance counsellor. Tuesdays to Fridays I work from my private practise room.  Arts Therapy is a form of Psychotherapy. More information about this way of working can be found at this link. https://deborahfrenchartist.com/what-is-arts-therapy/. When we begin working together we explore if your preference is for a more talk based or an arts therapy based approach.

In my private practise I work with children, teens and adults.  I have experience working with a wide range of ages and people from diverse backgrounds. My previous experience has included  teaching, being a guidance counsellor in high schools and also as a counsellor/arts therapist working for Te Rangimarie Hospice. At hospice I worked on site and in homes with carers, the terminally ill and the bereaved and their wider Whānau.

Bereavement often unleashes questioning of our values, existential questions about our existence and purpose,  leading to a change in the in essence of who we are. It is a privilege to accompany people in this journey. I am also drawn to this work due to my own lived experience of a family member who died by suicide.