Hi, I’m Ampara Bouwens.

I am a Clinical Psychologist working in Rodney, Auckland – and online. For over two decades I have worked with those who experienced a wide range of mental health issues including addiction, depression, psychotic disorders, trauma and severe personality disorders. Since 2016 I have had my own private practice.

Take back control of your life!

I qualified in clinical psychology in the Netherlands in 2004 and worked for over a decade with a forensic population who experienced a wide range of mental health issues including addiction, depression, acute and chronic psychotic disorders, trauma and severe personality disorders. Alongside, I worked as a trauma psychologist in a national crisis team for the Ministry of Justice. My previous work in New Zealand, with the Department of Corrections, included working with a wide range of violent and sexual offenders. Since 2016 I have a private practice and am passionate about working with people in Aotearoa who need a helping hand. I specialise in (complex) trauma.

Registrations and Professional Memberships:

Registered Clinical Psychologist with the New Zealand Psychologist Board
Member NZ Psychological Society (MNZPsS)
Member of New Zealand Pain Society
ACC Registered Psychologist
GZ Psycholoog (Mental Health Psychologist), Dutch Registration
Member Verenging EMDR Nederland
Member EMDR Association of Australia

Fees – $225.00 (incl GST) for a standard session (50 minutes).
I AM ACC REGISTERED.
Please note cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before the appointment time, otherwise, full payment is required.

My Services

Life is rarely without its challenges. There are some, however, that can be so overbearing that it seems impossible to move on. The death of a loved one, overwhelming feelings of anxiety or traumatic experiences can hinder you from living a satisfying life. Or perhaps you keep on making the same mistakes and are you stuck in patterns you are unable to change, even though you really want to. It’s important you know that help is available for every problem life throws your way. Psychotherapy can help you take back control of your life.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem-solving. Its goal is to change patterns of your thinking or behaviour that are behind your difficulties, and so change the way you feel. How you behave impacts on how you feel. When you act from anxiety or low mood, this will likely lead to reinforcing the anxiety. CBT is used to help treat a wide range of issues in a person’s life, from sleeping difficulties or relationship problems, to drug and alcohol abuse or anxiety and depression. CBT works by changing people’s attitudes and their behaviour by focusing on the thoughts, images, beliefs and attitudes that are and how these relate to the way a person behaves, as a way of dealing with emotional problems.

Schema Therapy

When you notice you keep making the same mistakes or am stuck in patterns you seem unable to change even though you really want to, then Schema Therapy might work for you. Behavioural patterns can be that you find it difficult to set your boundaries or that you are mistrusting of others. Schema Therapy helps you identify the origin of these behavioural patterns and change them. We will explore the influence from your childhood on your patterns and daily life. You will learn to change yourself and therefore feel better and break those patterns. You will learn to find out what it is that you need and assert those needs in a healthy way. Not only will your behaviour change, so will the way you feel and think. Schema Therapy uses elements of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy and experiential exercises from Gestalt Therapy.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy

EMDR is a successful therapy to process traumatic events. Unlike most forms of talk therapy, EMDR focuses less on the traumatic event itself and more on the disturbing emotions and symptoms that result from the event. Treatment focusses on approaching the traumatic event from the present and as such, the emotional impact is neutralized. Because of this flashbacks, anxiety and other issues related to the trauma or disturbing future scenario, will decrease.

Mentalisation-Based Treatment (MBT)

Mentalisation-Based Treatment (MBT) is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps people strengthen their ability to “mentalise”; to understand what’s going on in our own mind and in other people’s minds (thoughts, feelings, needs, and intentions). When we’re stressed, overwhelmed, or triggered, this ability can drop away, leading to misunderstandings, big emotional reactions, conflict, or shutdown. MBT supports you to slow things down, make sense of patterns in relationships, regulate emotions more effectively, and respond with greater clarity and choice, especially in the moments that usually feel hardest.

Request an Appointment Now

Click below to book an appointment online, or complete my contact form and I will be in touch shortly.