A counsellor who wholeheartedly gets you
or as one of my clients put it, someone who “gives a s**t”.
Dr Amira Fathimath
REGISTERED COUNSELLOR
Hello, I'm a professional counsellor and a registered member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
My practice is trauma-informed, culturally responsive and grounded in a deep belief in the importance of human connection.
We live in an increasingly fragmented world. Technology, social media and artificial intelligence connect us in unprecedented ways, yet many of us experience less of the kind of human connection in which we feel genuinely seen, heard and known. I believe counselling can offer such a space.
At the heart of my practice is the relationship I build with each client. I aim to create a safe, non-judgmental therapeutic space where you can bring what may be difficult to carry or speak about elsewhere, and explore your experiences without pressure to have the answers or be anything other than where you are.
I bring my professional knowledge, training and experience, but I do not position myself as the expert on your life. You bring your own knowledge of yourself, your history, relationships, culture and the world you inhabit. Counselling is something we create together.
My own diverse background and lived experience inform my understanding of how culture, identity and belonging can shape our emotional lives. I work with young adults and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, racial and cultural stress, grief, relationship difficulties, questions of identity and belonging, and periods of transition or feeling lost or stuck.
My approach is relational, collaborative and responsive. Rather than fitting you to a particular therapeutic model, I draw on different approaches and techniques when they are helpful, according to your needs and what we are working with in the present moment.
Above all, I offer a genuine human relationship in which you can feel heard, understood and safe enough to explore what matters.
Relational and Integrative
My practice is relational, integrative and trauma-informed.
I draw from relational approaches and other evidence-informed therapeutic practices. But I do not begin with a technique and try to fit you into it. I will not impose a therapeutic model on you simply because it is one I know. My responsibility is to draw thoughtfully from my training and experience and consider what may be most helpful for you.
I reach for techniques when they are useful, choosing approaches according to the person, the difficulty we are exploring and what is happening in the present moment.
Sometimes you may need to understand why a particular pattern keeps repeating. Sometimes you may need practical strategies for anxiety, intrusive thoughts or emotional regulation. At other times, we may explore experiences from much earlier in life and how they continue to shape relationships, identity and the way you relate to yourself.
The question guiding my work is:
What does this person need from therapy, from me, and from our relationship, right now?
In a world in which genuine connection can sometimes feel increasingly difficult to find, I want counselling to offer something simple but significant: a consistent human space where you can feel heard, understood and safe enough to explore what matters.
You do not have to know where to begin. We can begin there together.
Relationship Comes First
Responsive rather than prescriptive
My strongest therapeutic tool is the relationship I build with my clients.
I think of this relationship as a therapeutic container: a space capable of holding difficult emotions and experiences without judgment or pressure to resolve them immediately. For me, counselling begins within the relationship in which you feel safe enough to explore what may be painful, confusing, contradictory or difficult to speak about elsewhere.
Sometimes our work will be quiet and reflective. Sometimes I may challenge you or invite you to look at something differently. There may also be moments when neither of us immediately understands what something means. We can stay curious about it together.
I do not believe that people come to counselling as problems to be fixed. I want to understand the person sitting with me: what has shaped you, how you experience your world, what matters to you and what you need from counselling at this particular point in your life.
Qualifications and lived experience
PhD in Counselling (on going) - University of Auckland.
Masters in Counselling (First Class Honours) - University of Auckland.
Postgraduate Diploma (Distinction) in Counselling - University of Auckland
Certificate in Psychology - University of Oxford, UK
Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - University of Oxford, UK
PhD in Tourism Management - Auckland University of Technology
Master of Philosophy in Tourism Management - Auckland University of Technology
Master of Arts in Hospitality Management - Birmingham University College, UK
Bachelor of Philosophy in Hospitality Management - Birmingham University College, UK
Client Feedback
“You gave a shit…I wasn’t just a number that walked through the door.”
G.B.
“While my journey of personal growth is ongoing, I would not be where I am today if it were not for you.”
R.
I empathise with the struggles and fears that young people navigate in their daily lives. I also relate to the stress of parenting and single parenthood and the emotional roller coaster of breakups and divorce.
My intersectionality provides me with a genuine understanding of the challenges faced by diverse cultural, ethnic and minority groups. While I prize the uniqueness of my heritage and identity, I value, embrace and celebrate the differences in every individual.