About the practice

Authentic, thoughtful, deeply human.

Meet Shirley Parker, the therapist behind Unique Support Services in Torbay, Auckland. Personalised support for individuals and couples, in person and online.

Shirley Parker, Registered Mental Health and Behaviour Therapist, smiling in her therapy room

Your therapist

Meet Shirley

Registered Mental Health and Behaviour Therapist

I'm Shirley Parker, a Registered Therapist specialising in mental health and behavioural therapy.

Over the years, I've come to realise that life can sometimes feel overwhelming, and it isn't always easy to understand why we think, feel or react the way we do.

I believe therapy gives us a chance to slow things down, make sense of what's happening and recognise patterns that might be keeping us stuck. It's an opportunity to explore things from a different perspective, understand ourselves a little better and find new ways of moving forward.

My approach is grounded in trauma-informed care, and I believe therapy works best as a collaboration. Together we'll make sense of what's happening, draw on your strengths and work towards changes that feel meaningful to you, at a pace that feels manageable.

Meet Our Support Team

The friendly faces who help make your experience a little easier.

At Unique Support Services, we believe feeling supported begins from the very first interaction. While Shirley provides all therapeutic services, she's supported behind the scenes by a dedicated practice assistant and a rather charming four-legged companion.

Kirsten

Practice Assistant | Administration & Client Support

Kirsten is often the first friendly voice you'll hear when contacting Unique Support Services. With over 10 years of customer service experience and five years working as a virtual administrator, she brings warmth, professionalism and a genuine commitment to making every client's experience as comfortable as possible.

From coordinating appointments and managing enquiries to assisting with invoicing and everyday administration, Kirsten helps keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes.

She understands that reaching out for support isn't always easy and aims to make those first steps feel welcoming, straightforward and stress-free.

Beyond her administrative role, Kirsten is also a talented ceramic artist who enjoys expressing her creativity through her work. She loves spending time with family and sharing plenty of laughs with her cheeky cat, Jasper.

Felix

Unofficial Therapy Cat | Chief Comfort Officer

Meet Felix, our fluffy ginger companion and unofficial member of the support team.

With his gentle nature, curious personality and impressive talent for finding the comfiest spot in the room, Felix brings a little extra warmth and character to Unique Support Services.

You might find him curled up quietly nearby, enjoying a sunny spot or occasionally popping in to say hello. His calm presence and affectionate personality make him a much-loved part of the office.

Of course, we understand that not everyone is comfortable around cats. If you'd prefer a cat-free session, simply let us know, and we'll make sure Felix enjoys his relaxation time elsewhere.

Background & credentials

Professional foundations

Professional Registration

Registered Clinical/Therapeutic Social Worker with the Social Workers Registration Board (SWRB), New Zealand, and member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW).

Areas of Expertise

Supporting individuals and couples with anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, emotional regulation, behavioural challenges, ADHD and relationship difficulties.

Education & Therapeutic Training

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), with postgraduate education in psychology, mental health and trauma. Ongoing professional development and training in psychological and therapeutic approaches, including trauma-informed care and crisis intervention.

Professional Experience

Over 15 years of experience across adult and youth mental health services, community organisations, neurodiversity-focused services and private practice. This diverse background brings a broad understanding of people's experiences, challenges and individual needs.

Therapeutic philosophy

"Every person and every relationship is unique. Therapy should be too: shaped around your story, your needs and the change you want to make."

Sessions are personalised, collaborative and trauma-informed, drawing on a range of established psychological and therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT-informed), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Internal Family Systems (IFS-informed), Mindfulness-Based Approaches, Insight-Focused Neurotherapy, attachment-informed approaches and Gottman-informed couples therapy.

Take the first step toward healing.

You don't need to have everything figured out to begin. Book an appointment with Shirley, or get in touch if you'd like to ask a question first.

Book an Appointment Get in Touch