- Eva Whakaata -

My therapeutic style is trauma-informed, deeply relational, compassionate, and client-centered. My lived experience means that I can sit with alot, and there is not too much that shocks me.

During my Bachelor of Counselling and three years of specialised training, I learnt, and was assessed on two powerful modalities. Person-Centered Therapy (PCT), and Narrative Therapy. Apart from private-practice, I work part-time with current Bachelor of Counselling students supporting them in practicing these two modalities.

Somatic/Body-Based therapy is the heart of my practice. I am a Somatica® trained intimacy coach (200hrs +), and I am currently moving through Level 1 of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy certification (80hrs). These approaches allow me to support people in deepening their connection with their own body and felt sense, as well as exploring and processing trauma that may be stored in the body. Feel free to email me with any questions about this way of working. 

From the time I was twelve years old, I found myself seated across from psychologists and counsellors, learning what it meant to explore and share my story. Through adolescence and beyond, counselling is something that I have used many times to support me through different seasons. 

 In my twenties, after getting married and having five children, I hit a rock bottom in my life. I found myself at a point where I couldn’t keep functioning the way I always had. I was burnt out. Unwell. Emotionally disconnected. Years of survival mode had caught up with me and I found myself back in personal counselling - but it wasn't helpful. At times I left feeling more exposed and vulnerable than I had before I walked in. That season changed the direction of my life and gave me the push I needed to pursue this work professionally. I felt a strong desire to train formally so that I could become a support to people in a way that is ethical, well-trained, and equipped to hold space for others with integrity.

My practice is informed not only by my formal training but also by my lived experiences. I have walked through prolonged and complex childhood trauma, explosive relationships, domestic violence, addiction, grief and bereavement, social anxiety disorder, and depression. All of these experiences have shaped the way I understand pain, compassion, and the profound need for trauma-informed care. My lived experiences help me to connect with my clients on a deeply human level, offering not just professional insight but genuine empathy born from embodied struggles.

As a counsellor, I’ve walked alongside people in diverse settings. I’ve had the privilege of working in an agency for women, a tertiary institute where I worked specifically with high-achieving young adults, and with bilingual (Māori) adolescents in a low-decile school setting. I am now in private practice, and I also work part-time supporting 1st and 2nd year Bachelor of Counselling students in their training.  I enjoy a diverse range of work. however, I work especially well with adult survivors of childhood trauma, as well as those navigating active grief and bereavement. It’s a privilege to support individuals who feel caught in painful relational patterns or who are struggling with emotional overwhelm, disconnection from their body, disruptive coping habits, or the weight of their past. 

I find this work to be a MASSIVE privilege. If you are interested in working with me, please know that I do not take that lightly, and I have great respect for you, and your unique journey.

When it came time to name my practice, I didn’t have to look far. 

Whakaata (pronounced fah-kaah-tah) is my name, and it is a name that has been passed down to the first born females in my whānau for generations.

In te reo Māori, Whakaata means “mirror”, "mirror-image" or “reflection”, and these concepts lies at the heart of my practice. 

The therapeutic space I aspire to offer is like a mirror.. a place to see yourself fully, to reflect on where you’ve been, and to envision where you’re going.