Little Shadow Counselling
At Little Shadow we offer counselling and support to parents experiencing perinatal distress, including baby loss and infertility. Perinatal means anything to do with pregnancy, birth and the first years of a baby's life. We provide you with a safe, non judgemental space to seek healing, resilience and empowerment.
Our counsellors are here to help you navigate those tricky times in life. From depression to grief, loss, anxiety and trauma and managing life’s changes. Our team also have specialist training and professional development to help support those in the perinatal period. Our counsellors genuinely relate – many have experienced perinatal or other life periods of distress, and all of them are parents.
You can also check out our group support program - He Waka Eke Noa
Our Team
At Little Shadow, we understand that seeking help is a brave and essential step towards personal growth and emotional wellbeing. That's why we are proud to introduce our team of compassionate counsellors who are dedicated to supporting individuals on their journey towards healing and self-discovery.
Our counseling service for parents is made more affordable by kind donors, fundraising and grants.
To book an appointment with one of our Little Shadow counsellors, click on the button below their profile
We look forward to supporting you on this transformative journey.
Danni Ridley (she/her)
—
BACHELOR OF COUNSELLING and addictions practice, NZAC PROVISIONAL MEMBER
Danni is a 2nd generation Pākehā/tauiwi practitioner who grew up in the Te Whanganui a Tara/Wellington region. Having recently become a mother (to her daughter in November 2022), Danni is interested in the contradictions and hurdles faced in modern parenting. These include identity concerns, relationship changes, external and internal pressures, and lack of support.
Danni believes we all possess unique inner strengths and works in a pluralistic manner - drawing ideas from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Narrative Therapy - to help the people she works with to find these, and use them to their full potential.
She creates a safe and non-judgemental place to explore different issues. Her interests lie in identity issues, relationships, grief, intergenerational concerns and anxiety. She previously worked in the Drug Treatment Unit at Arohata Women’s Prison - giving her experience in trauma, addiction and abuse. She works at your pace and is dedicated to empowering you through the peaks and troughs of parenthood.
Rate: $60 per session
Available: Thursdays - Waterloo Plunket Clinic, Lower Hutt or online. Fridays - Johnsonville Plunket Clinic, Johnsonville or online
Bookings open from Feb 2025
Jen Purvis (she/her)
—
BACHELOR OF COUNSELLING and addictions practice, Bachelor of science, majoring in psychology
Jen grew up in Houston, Texas but has lived in Aotearoa since 2000 with Wellington being her home since 2008. She became mum to Sophie in 2005 at 24 and faced both Post-Natal Depression and Postpartum Psychosis. Jen holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and has recently completed a Bachelor of Counselling and Addiction Practice.
Jen loves working with women, something she believes is a gift. The perinatal sphere is such a precious time for women and Jen understands the challenges and hurdles of reflux, sleepless nights, and little support. She has worked previously as a mum-to-mum support worker for a reflux network and as a reflux consultant for a baby-feeding support network. She has worked previously at Te Paepae Arahi in the Alcohol and Drug field and is currently at Upper Hutt Women's Centre.
Jen creates a warm, welcoming space with a non-judgmental and accepting feel to help you explore the issues you are currently facing. Her interests lie in mood changes, sleep, grief, the perinatal sphere, and the changes that accompany the journey into parenthood.
Jen writes when she has free time. She has three cats and a beautiful daughter, Sophie.
Rate: $35 per session
Available: Thursdays - online, Fridays - Johnsonville Plunket Clinic. Re-opening for clients in Feb 2025.
Serena Lotoaso (she/her)
—
2nd year Student, Bachelor of Counselling and Addictions practice. Student Associate, NZAC
Serena resides in Porirua and she and her husband are raising their children in the same community that they both grew up in.
Serena believes that motherhood is the most rewarding and challenging work that she will ever undertake in her life. She understands the emotional, physical and psychological challenges that women face, having personally experienced many of the difficult realities of motherhood, including life threatening childbirth trauma, sleep deprivation, breastfeeding struggles and post-partum depression. Serena also understands the profound grief of losing a child and the significant toll that it can take on parents and their relationships. She is also familiar with the complexities of raising children with developmental delays. While Serena recognises that parenthood is not without its difficulties, she wants to reassure parents that they are not alone in their journey and that she is here to support them.
Serena uses person-centred practice to create a warm, non-judgemental and supportive environment so that clients feel truly seen and heard. She believes in the strength of women, and that person-centred therapy empowers people to focus on their own needs and emotions to help them navigate their challenges with confidence.
Rate: $35 per session
Available: Fridays - Johnsonville Plunket Clinic or online
Bookings opening in Feb 2025.
Can’t find a counsellor that suits your needs? You can find other counsellors and support here. We have a range of independent perinatal mental health professionals, including psychologists, art therapists and counsellors who are able to support you on your journey to wellbeing.
Why counselling?
—
Counselling is a useful tool for healing and gaining clarity over your life. Counselling can help you to find choices and meaning in your experiences. Talking out loud gives clarity and fresh perspective to your thoughts.
What’s counselling like?
—
We listen and reflect, creating a safe space to help you discover fresh perspective and inner strength. We help you imagine how these ideas might look if you integrated them into your life.
Everyone is different. You might need just a handful of sessions to provide you with clarity – or you may want ongoing support to tackle deeper issues. Whatever your needs, counselling can help support your journey.
The details
—
We offer counselling at Johnsonville Plunket rooms on Friday’s.
Prices are $60 for trained counsellors and $35 for student counsellors for a 60 minute session.
We are committed to removing as many barriers to attending as possible for parents and these fees are subsidised thanks to fundraising, grants and donations. All of our venues are child friendly, and you can bring babies two years and under if you need to.
Prices seem out of reach? MSD offer support with counselling when you meet their income threshold criteria. Check your eligibility here, or download an application form to take straight to your GP, see here. Any of our Provisional or Full NZAC members can support you if you’re accessing this subsidy, making the fee just a very small one.
Cancellation Fee: Please note that appointments cancelled or rescheduled with less than 48 hours notice will be invoiced in full.