Experienced and registered professional
Get to know me, Cathy
Valuing your mental health
Whether you’re seeking clarity, healing, deeper connections, growth, progress, balance, or resilience—individually or together, for your personal life or your professional life—I am here to support you as an experienced and registered professional.
Giving you confidence in me, my experience and qualifications
Choosing a counsellor or coach is a deeply personal decision. I want you to feel comfortable and confident in who I am. So, I am sharing a little of my story and some of my personal and professional background in counselling and management workplaces. You get the opportunity to make your own decision about my experience as a professional counsellor and coach.
My identity and core values
Like you, I have various identities
He tamahine ahau, he tuahine, he whaea, he kuia, he hoa ora. He wahine mahi ngaio ahau.
I proudly embrace my dual identity as a South African Pākehā, belonging to a family spanning four generations across both countries. My identity incudes that I am a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and life partner.
My values have evolved with my life experiences
I deeply value connection, compassion, courage, creativity, adaptability, resilience, and trust.
As a professional woman, I also prioritise leadership, collaboration, lifelong learning from diverse fields, and volunteering.
Being registered with the New Zealand Association of Counsellors
Registering and being accredited
As a registered counselling professional with the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC), I’ve undergone rigorous validation of my qualifications, competency, and experience.
Furthermore, via my NZAC membership, I hold accreditation as a Te Whatu Ora|Health NZ counsellor.
Commitment to ethical practice as a registered counsellor
My commitment encompasses ethical practice, accountability, continuous professional growth, and facilitating your wellbeing.
The NZAC Code of Ethics is available to you through this link.
Experiencing a life-long tertiary educational journey
Inspired to improve people's psychological wellbeing
Studying both psychology and management as a young adult fuelled what became a life-long passion for helping people in and out of workplaces.
As I gained more practical experience in leading, coaching, mentoring, and counselling, my passion grew stronger, motivating me to study further, and integrate deeper research into my practice.
The research areas I am most familiar with and draw from are on the Our Approach page
Building on my qualifications
I started my career with a Bachelor of Commerce degree (with two years of psychology) from Rhodes University, South Africa.
Since then, I have been enriched by completing the following through the University of Auckland, NZ:
- Master of Counselling
- Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Theory
- Postgraduate Diploma in Business (Human Resource Management)
Broadening my counselling experience over 15 years
Enjoying diverse clients
Throughout my years of counselling practice, I’ve had the privilege of supporting numerous clients facing a wide range of challenges. This has called on many different techniques; some of these are listed in the Our Approach page.
Setting up my own counselling practice
Cathy Comber Counselling practice, and my Loneliness NZ practice (see further down) have exposed me to wide-ranging issues with a number of long-term clients: loneliness, trauma, relationship crises, grief, loss, sexual and intimacy issues, amongst many others.
Contributing to diverse communities
Additionally, my experience spans
- crisis and suicide prevention with Lifeline Aotearoa;
- domestic violence support with Shine;
- positive mentoring youth and coaching mentors in alternative education through Campus Connections Aotearoa;
- supporting teens and families with diverse challenges at Mount Albert Grammar School;
- addressing employment and general issues for clients through OCP New Zealand.
Being passionate to help people in workplaces
Supporting through major transitions and personal challenges
With over two decades in senior management roles at the University of Cape Town and the University of Auckland, I’ve led and supported a significant number of individuals and teams through major transitions and personal and professional challenges. This gave me considerable experience in how to manage and develop people using coaching, mentoring and collaborative leadership.
Enhancing my skills as a trustee
I have enjoyed being a trustee for these organisations: LifeKidz (special needs children) and TalkLink Trust (assistive technology for the disability sector), and Loneliness NZ. Contributing to these has enhanced my own skills and development.
My career history is available here: Cathy Comber | LinkedIn
Cofounding Loneliness NZ Charitable Trust
Bringing my experiences and passions together
Advocating for people and communities
Since beginning Loneliness NZ, I have been a strong advocate for people and communities to understand loneliness better. This journey has led me to participate in the development of the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection (GILC) in collaboration with 11+ countries. Through GILC I have interacted with world leaders in loneliness and people in the World Health Organisation.
Sharing snippets of my life experiences
Truly experiencing life
My life journey before and since becoming a registered counselling professional has been rich, and sometimes complex. I have had numerous transitions. The array of experiences has shown me, physically and metaphorically, the world from diverse and often humbling perspectives.
Being purposeful in sessions
As an experienced and registered professional, sharing snippets of my life, while inevitable, is meant to be purposeful. So, I share my experiences to show empathy and connect with you on a deeper level, not to overshadow your journey. I understand how complex life can be, and I am here to support you on your unique path.
Booking me as an experienced and registered professional - when you are ready
A reminder, you can get personal, professional and relationship support from me in Remuera, Central Auckland, and online.
Book one of these sessions
- An individual in-person
- An individual using video online
- A relationship (joint) in-person
- A relationship (joint) using video online.
What if you are having a crisis?
If you’re going through a crisis and your life, or someone else’s, is in danger, it’s crucial not to postpone seeking help until our first appointment. First, contact 111 or a crisis helpline immediately. Then, you can follow up with me.