Kristen Tandy

Registered Counsellor

Provisional NZAC #15817

Email: kristen@thetherapyproject.co.nz

Mobile: 022 530 6744

Kia ora, I’m Kristen, a relationally focused counsellor originally from California, now practising in Aotearoa New Zealand. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Chico, and a Master of Arts in Counseling and Career Development from Colorado State University. I bring over five years of clinical experience working with individuals, couples, and families across a wide range of life stages and transitions.

My primary area of practice is relational, couples, and family therapy. I believe that many of the challenges people face—such as anxiety, conflict, emotional reactivity, trauma, and disconnection—are best understood within the context of relationships and the systems we are part of. My work focuses on helping clients understand relational patterns, strengthen emotional safety, and build more intentional, respectful, and connected ways of relating.

I have completed certification in Relational Life Therapy (RLT) and have training in the Gottman Method for couples therapy. I also have foundational training in systemic family therapy and am beginning advanced systemic family therapy training in New Zealand. These approaches inform my work with couples and families around communication breakdowns, power struggles, intimacy concerns, parenting challenges, blended families, and the impact of family-of-origin experiences on present-day relationships.

Alongside my relational work, I take an integrative approach when working with individuals, drawing from CBT, DBT, ACT, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and EMDR as clinically appropriate. I am also a certified Perinatal and Postpartum Mental Health practitioner (PMH-C) and support clients navigating parenthood, identity shifts, and the emotional complexity of family life.

I am deeply committed to working in affirming and inclusive ways with diverse identities and communities, including LGBTQIA+ clients and those living with chronic illness or disability. Earlier in my career, I specialised in career development, and I continue to support clients in understanding how family systems, attachment, and past experiences shape work, identity, and life direction.

Above all, I aim to show up as a grounded, engaged, and compassionate human in the room. I strive to create a warm, collaborative space where clients feel supported to explore difficult relational patterns, take responsibility where needed, and move toward meaningful and sustainable change—at a pace that feels right for them.