FINANCE INFORMATION for the start of the year 2026: Donations, Course related costs, Student ID cards and Stationery can be paid via OfficeMax MySchool www.myschool.co.nz/rangitoto from December 2025 to February 2026
Click here to read 2026 Start of Year Arrangements
BACKOur aim is to support and encourage young people to reach their full potential in education and beyond. We help students grow into socially aware, resilient, and fulfilled individuals who can manage life’s challenges with confidence. Through guidance, students are empowered to:
All counsellors are available to support students at every year level. To make an appointment, simply click the Book an Appointment icon below and complete the online counselling request form.
Once submitted, your request will be logged with the Guidance Department, and a counsellor will meet with you as soon as possible. Please note that during busy times of the year, there may be a short waiting period.
Note: students need to be logged into their cloud accounts to access the online form to book an appointment. Parents are encouraged to contact their child’s dean or HOD Guidance, Mr Jay Smith, if they want to have them referred for counselling.
The Guidance Department provides a private and confidential service for students at all year levels. Students may self-refer, or be referred by teachers, deans, senior management, or parents.
Our team of five qualified counsellors, all members of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC), offer support across a wide range of issues. These may include anxiety, depression, relationships, anger, conflict, eating concerns, and substance use. Students benefit from having a safe space to discuss challenges they may be experiencing at school or in their personal lives.
The Guidance Department provides counselling for mild to moderate levels of distress. For acute or severe concerns, students are referred to external agencies that specialise in specific areas of need. Throughout this process, students remain connected with their school counsellor for ongoing support. We work with a range of agencies, including Marinoto Adolescent Mental Health Services, the CADS Altered High Programme (alcohol and drug support), and others depending on the issue and level of need. Parents are welcome to contact the Guidance team for advice and information about these services.
Counselling sessions take place in a private office, where the counsellor introduces themselves and explains confidentiality and autonomy in a way that is clear for the student.
Our counsellors take an eclectic approach, drawing on a variety of methods such as:
Approaches are tailored to each student—some may prefer creative methods, while others are more comfortable with direct, face-to-face conversations. The goal is always to build a strong, respectful connection with students of all genders, cultures, and personalities. While one session may be enough for some, others may benefit from ongoing support.
All counsellors are bound by the NZAC Code of Ethics, which requires regular professional clinical supervision to ensure safe, ethical, and effective practice. Annual renewal of NZAC membership also requires evidence of ongoing professional development.
The Guidance Department is committed to continuous learning. Counsellors participate in internal training as well as external workshops and courses, often led by local or international experts. On returning, they share their learning with the wider team, ensuring that the department remains current, collaborative, and responsive to the needs of our students.
I have been a counsellor at Rangitoto College since 2007 and have led the Counselling Department as Head of Counselling since 2016. Originally from Scotland, I was born and grew up in and around Glasgow and hold a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Glasgow. In 1998, I moved to Auckland and began my career in education as a Mathematics teacher.
Over time, I developed a strong interest in the challenges young people face during adolescence, along with a deep desire to support them more holistically. This led me to pursue further study, and in 2007, after completing a Master’s Degree in Counselling, I joined the Counselling team at Rangitoto College.
I see personal wellbeing as essential to being an effective counsellor, and I aim to model this in my own life. Outside of school, I enjoy the challenge of improving my golf game and find great joy in singing as a member of Auckland Choral.
It has been a genuine privilege to walk alongside our rangatahi, offering support and encouragement as they navigate life’s complexities and work toward personal growth and wellbeing.
I am fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English and I have extensive cross-cultural experiences, having lived in several countries working with university students, parents, and fashion designers in the past 20 years before I joined Rangitoto College. My passion in counselling is helping young people explore who they are, discover their own resources to solve problems, take care of their mental health and be their best version they can be. Besides doing counselling, I am also an exhibited narrative artist and coach for woman’s groups and I serve the community through seminars, workshops, and art exhibitions. I strongly believe that human beings are longing to see and be seen; hear and be heard; love and be loved as we are relational creatures.
After teaching young adolescents both in the classroom and in Performing Arts for twenty years, a strong desire to make a difference in young people’s emotional and mental health led me to pursue a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling at Auckland University. I believe meaningful connections, support and understanding are essential to support the wellbeing of adolescents as they navigate this challenging time of their lives. It is a privilege to work collaboratively alongside the young people of Rangitoto College to help them make sense of their feelings and emotions.
Following completing my Bachelor of Arts in psychology, I worked with children and young people in sports coaching and management. Then, I took the leap and returned to full-time study in my hopes of becoming a counsellor. I now have a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Theory, and a Master of Counselling with first class honours. Throughout my study, I worked in a private school for Years 0-13, and now Rangitoto College. I love a laugh and meeting new students but am also highly dependable to help guide and support young people through tough times. I am also actively involved in the Peer Support Programme. I really value being part of the strong, experienced, and friendly Rangitoto College Guidance team.
After having children of my own, I became aware of the increasingly challenging environment our adolescents are growing up in. Motivated to help and keen for a career change, I gained my Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling in 2016 from Auckland University, after working for more than 15 years in Marketing and Consumer Research.
As a counsellor, I employ a person-centred approach and utilise a pluralistic philosophy. This allows me to work with or apply a range of modalities depending on which best serves my client’s specific needs.
I provide a safe and encouraging space for my students to explore their goals, navigate challenges, and build resilience. I aim to understand each person’s unique challenges and/or distress, as well as their strengths and aspirations, and work alongside them as they endeavour to make positive change in their lives.
Adolescence is an exciting, uncomfortable, sometimes challenging transition to adulthood for our rangitahi. I am excited to be part of the Rangitoto College Guidance team as we work to support our students and help them unleash their potential.
