Counselling

The counsellor education programmes at The University of Waikato are known nationally and internationally for their distinctive orientation, in teaching narrative approaches to counselling and therapy.
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Why study Counselling?

Practising from a narrative orientation, a counsellor is interested in the stories that shape people’s lives. The stories that produce people’s lives are those available in the varied cultural worlds that people inhabit. Thus, a counsellor is interested in the ideas, beliefs, social structures, and norms that people live by.

Counsellors pay particular attention to the language by which stories, and lives, are produced. Therapy, then, is a particular conversation, one that invites and enables people to take up various positions in relation with themselves, others, ideas and the world around them!

Narrative therapy is a collaborative therapy. Counsellors bring a genuine curiosity to counselling conversations that explore difficulties in the light of the hopes and purposes, understandings and preferences clients hold for their lives.

Graduates of the programmes have taken up leadership positions as practitioners, practice leaders, researchers and counsellor educators.

Counselling papers

Scholarships and prizes

Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships.

Contact us

International Enquiries

Monday to Friday 8:30am - 5pm

School of Education

Te Kura Toi Tangata School of Education, The University of Waikato, Gate 5, Hillcrest Road, Hillcrest, Hamilton, New Zealand