Poipoia te kākano kia puāwai
Nurture the seed and it will bloom.

As a School Counsellor at Marsden, Katherine has the privilege of walking alongside students as they navigate life's challenges, celebrate successes, and discover more about themselves. Her hope is that every student who walks through her door feels free to be themselves, knowing they will be heard, accepted and supported.

Katherine recently completed a Bachelor of Counselling with Distinction through Bethlehem Tertiary Institute (BTI). Alongside her counselling work, she has supported people living with disability and chronic illness as a Community Advisor for Multiple Sclerosis Wellington and has journeyed alongside women in a 12-step recovery community.

The Marsden value that resonates most strongly with Katherine is Creativity. Through her training in narrative therapy, she has discovered that creativity is not limited to art or design—it is also about curiosity, imagination and seeing new possibilities. She finds it rewarding to help students recognise strengths and values that may have gone unnoticed and believes creativity can open doors to hope, confidence and new ways of understanding ourselves.

Outside of work, Katherine enjoys good coffee with family and friends, spending time in nature, and sewing. She is often inspired by a piece of clothing and wonders whether she could recreate it herself. One memorable summer involved a very serious (and delicious) research project to discover Wellington’s best cheese scone—a perfect excuse to explore cafés across the city.