About Chris

Programme Development and Training, Workshop Facilitation, and Professional Supervision

Chris is a Registered Social Worker with 35+ years of experience in the field of social work. Chris is a full member of Aotearoa NZ Association of Workers, the Australian Association of Social Workers and the Australian Association of Clinical Supervisors.

Chris is a graduate of Massey University holding a Bachelor of Social Work (1983); a Graduate Certificate in Social Service Supervision (1986) and in 2005 was awarded her Masters in Social Work with Honours. Chris’s Master’s thesis was titled “What’s in a Name? Strength-based supervision – reality or rhetoric. An analysis of supervision in an organisation with a vision of strength based practice.” Chris has co-authored a chapter on ‘Bicultural Strength-based Supervision’ published in Nash, M., Munford, R, & O’Donoghue, K. (Ed) (2005) Social Work Theories in Action”. She has also presented papers at conferences in both Australia and New Zealand.

Chris has been in private practice since 1988 predominantly providing supervision in the NGO and health sectors, offering supervision to a range of professional groups including social workers, youth workers, counsellors, nurses, occupational therapists, pastoral workers managers,   From 2000 until September 2008, Chris divided her time between private practice and working for Massey University as the Project Manager – Practice Research and Professional Development, School of Health and Social Services.

Chris has a framework embedded in strength-based, collaborative practice with a specific focus on the Aotearoa/New Zealand context. In this capacity she has developed and run a range of training programmes for both strength-based practice and supervision for social workers, allied health professionals and community organisations. Chris is also an experienced manager and has significant networks across NGO’s, and within health and statutory social work organisations.

Between 2012 and 2018 Chris was based in Australia and worked in NZ part time as a professional supervisor.  While in Australia Chris worked as Clinical Lead for headspace Albany and headspace Wodonga, as a counsellor for Veteran’s Affairs  and as a mental health coordinator for Murray Primary Health Network.

Chris returned to New Zealand in November 2018 is now working in private practice as a professional supervisor and trainer with offices in Ngaio, Wellington CBD and in Palmerston North. Chris also maintains a maintains a supervision practice in Australia via Zoom and is also available for online supervision In New Zealand.