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Jake Meads

Jake Meads

Counselling Psychologist

Practical, skills-focused therapy for anxiety, anger & irritability, and trauma. Collaborative, evidence-based work that helps you translate insight into action in everyday life.

About Jake

Jake is a counselling psychologist based in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland with mixed Māori and NZ European heritage. He grew up in Levin, near Palmerston North, and now spends his free time at the gym, with his partner, or talking with friends over Discord while they play video games together.

Jake began his career as a counsellor working with children, teens, and young adults in a domestic violence setting, before moving into what has become his primary expertise: brief, skills-focused interventions with adults. He has previously worked as the clinical lead for the Mental Health & Addictions team at Comprehensive Care, providing clinical oversight for around twenty clinicians in the brief intervention space.

Alongside clinical practice, Jake has spent the last few years supporting the postgraduate counselling psychology programme at the Auckland University of Technology, lecturing, supervising dissertations and academic publishing, and sitting on examination and interview panels.

Jake has a particular interest in working with Māori clients, drawing on his own whakapapa and the connections to both his birth and adopted ancestral lines. He aims to provide a space that feels culturally safe and grounded for tangata whenua seeking psychological support.

Therapeutic approach

Jake’s approach is collaborative and practical. The work focuses on figuring out what will actually help you in your life outside of therapy: the skills, choices and shifts that move you towards your goals.

He offers both short-term and longer-term therapy, depending on what you need. The aim is a more integrated way of being in the world, and being able to translate the insights of therapy into ongoing, meaningful actions and experiences of living. Sessions typically start with a comprehensive assessment so that a personalised plan can be tailored to your needs.

Areas of interest

  • Anxiety
  • Anger and irritability
  • Trauma and PTSD
  • Culturally safe practice for Māori clients
  • Depression and low mood
  • Stress, coping skills, and personal growth
  • Sleep and insomnia
  • Eating disorders
  • Alcohol and substance misuse, including gaming addiction
  • Grief and bereavement
  • Employment-related issues
  • Chronic illness and pain
  • Gym and mental health

Therapies offered

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
  • Mindfulness-based therapy