Contract Psychologists

 Christchurch

Both Rebecca and Estelle feel very strongly about working in the preventative field of psychological disorders and are very pleased to be able to offer these groups for the first time here in Christchurch.

 Rebecca Abrahams (pictured above left)

Dip. Tchg, M.Ed (Dist), PG Dip Ed Psych, MNZPsS

Rebecca Abrahams is a Registered Psychologist and Registered Teacher. After teaching Intermediate aged children for a few years, Rebecca completed her psychology training. She is currently in private practice where she supervises clinicians, provides assessments and interventions for children, adolescents and their families. Her practice also includes a counselling service, consultant psychologist role for a Deaf education centre and marking for an intern psychology programme. She has also worked on the ‘Friends' research evaluation team in a diagnostic capacity. Prior to this, she worked both in residential and community settings with adolescent males who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviour. She has also worked for Group Special Education (GSE), to assist schools and individuals with severe behavioural, social, emotional, intellectual and physical needs. Working in these positions cemented her belief that giving young people skills to manage hard emotions and to cope with life is vital to building their resilience and enhancing their well-being. Hence, Rebecca is very excited to be part of an organisation that values imparting these skills to our Tamariki and Rangatahi. Rebecca is married with one new daughter and in her spare time, she likes to read, dance, choreograph and perform in musical theatre.

Estelle Macdonald (pictured above right)

Montessori Teaching Diploma, M. Soc. Sci (Psych), CPsych (UK), MNZCCP

Estelle Macdonald is a Registered Clinical Psychologist in New Zealand and a Chartered Clinical Psychologist in the UK. She also has an Early Years Education Montessori Teaching Diploma.

Estelle initially qualified as a Counselling and Educational Psychologist in South Africa and worked in private practice there for three years. At the same time she ran a small Montessori Pre-school in the mornings. She then moved to London and did some locum teaching in various Montessori schools before finding employment as a Child Psychologist in the National Health Service, whilst retraining to become a Clinical Psychologist. She worked for several years in the National Health Service in various Clinical Psychologist posts in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, in Child Development Services and Clinical Health and Neuropsychology. She then returned to South Africa for a short while, where she worked at a Child Guidance Centre and at a school for children with learning problems.  She is now working in private practice and in the public sector here in New Zealand. She is particularly interested in prevention strategies that help young people develop resilience and useful life skills.