Saijel DhedaACA

Saijel Dheda is an ACA counsellor with five years' clinical experience. She trained at the University of Auckland and works from a practical, down-to-earth place. She aims to make conversations simple and useful for parents and people facing big life transitions.

Saijel’s work often focuses on family and parenting concerns, intimacy issues, coping with life changes and compassion fatigue. She also addresses attachment and abandonment worries, blended family dynamics, communication problems and body image. Her background includes work across New Zealand and Australia with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Her approach is grounded in Client-Centred and mindfulness-based work. Sessions emphasise listening, reflective conversation and finding small, doable steps to try between meetings. She uses trauma-aware ideas when past events are affecting day-to-day life and decisions.

Saijel pays close attention to cultural and intergenerational factors such as migration and colonisation when they matter to a person’s story. She aims to create a non-judgemental space where people can talk through parenting stress, relationship strains and identity concerns.

Practical support is part of the work. Expect clear observations, gentle challenge and collaborative planning. Saijel helps clients weigh options, practise new ways of communicating and build everyday routines that reduce overwhelm.

Client-centred and mindfulness approaches for online care

Client-Centred Therapy focuses on creating an attentive, non-judgemental space where the client leads the conversation and the therapist reflects and clarifies. This approach helps when someone needs support making sense of relationship patterns, parenting choices or identity concerns.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices alongside gentle reflection. It helps reduce rumination and supports people who feel overwhelmed by strong emotions or ongoing stressors like compassion fatigue.

Finding the right approach is often a team effort. Saijel works collaboratively to choose methods that match a person's needs, goals and preferences. She checks in regularly and adjusts the focus as things change so sessions stay practical and useful.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit conversations into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when that suits your schedule. It also makes it possible to continue regular work when life circumstances change, while still keeping focus on parenting, intimacy and coping strategies.