Getting a cancer diagnosis can be hard. It is common for people to experience a range of emotions in response to a cancer diagnosis.
Cancer Society psychologists and counsellors have specialised skills and experience to assist you and your family/ whānau to cope during this time.
The Cancer Society Psychological Service can help with:
- The shock and disbelief of diagnosis
- Learning to manage difficult emotions such as anger, frustration, grief, sadness, anxiety or depression
- Talking with health professionals – what questions to ask and how
- Making decisions that are right for you
- Coping with physical changes and sexuality
- Coping with treatment, medical procedures and tests
- Managing emotions around follow up appointments
- Coping with change and regaining confidence
- Uncertainty about the future
- Moving on with life after cancer treatment
Meet the team
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Ka’ula Knoche is a registered Health Psychologist (practicing since 2017) and Manager of Cancer Society’s Psychological Service. She is dedicated to the field of psycho-oncology, where she has worked in both public and not-for-profit organizations, to address the unique psychological and emotional needs of those affected by cancer.
Ka’ula believes in working alongside her patients to create effective and long-lasting psychological change. She employs a collaborative and strengths-based approach to support patients to identify and amplify their existing strengths, fostering a sense of self-efficacy and resilience.
Therapy modalities include:
·Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
·Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
·Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
·Meaning Centred Psychotherapy
Ka’ula gained her degree at The University of Auckland. She holds a Master’s Degree and Postgraduate Diploma in Health Psychology.
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Daniel is a registered Psychologist with specialist training in health psychology. He has maintained his clinical practice primarily within physical healthcare settings, working with individuals, families, and larger groups alike to help navigate the impacts of physical illness. Daniel has also been involved in work bringing mindfulness into schools across Aotearoa.
Specific therapeutic approaches Daniel draws on include acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, compassion-focused therapy, as well as a range of mindfulness-based practices and strategies to help cultivate awareness and facilitate responsive self-regulation of mind and body.
Daniel has a firm belief in the innate wisdom we can each potentially access moment by moment in daily life. He takes both a strengths-based and practical approach to his clinical work, guided by personal values of authenticity, nonjudgment, and compassion.
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Mel McKenzie is a registered Health Psychologist. She studied psychology at the University of Auckland, completing postgraduate clinical health psychology training at Middlemore Hospital in Cancer Support. Prior to this she enjoyed a business career working as a registered Chartered Accountant for Ernst & Young, followed by roles in the food and beverage, entertainment, manufacturing, and cosmetic industries.
Mel is particularly interested in the impact of chronic stress on people’s ability to function effectively. She explored that area of research whilst at university and her thesis was focused on people’s mindset in relation to stress during the pandemic. Mel is passionate about working alongside clients in a non-judgemental way, utilising their strengths to achieve their therapy goals.
Mel enjoys exercise and jogs most day’s and plays tennis. Over the last few years, she has been involved in spearheading a new community tennis club, refurbishing four derelict tennis courts and a community centre. She is a member of the NZ Psychological Society and a Member of the Institute of Health Psychology.
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Haley is a registered Health Psychologist who began practicing in 2013. She has a passion for helping support individuals and their whanau navigate their cancer journey using a warm, relaxed, and non-judgmental approach. Haley’s primary therapeutic modalities include Acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, and self-compassion. In her spare time, she runs around after her two littles, enjoys cooking, listening to music, spending time with loved ones and immersing herself in nature.
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Lucia is the intern psychologist with the Cancer Society Psychological Service. She has nearly a decade of experience working, studying, and volunteering in mental health. Currently, she is pursuing her qualification as a registered Health Psychologist through the University of Auckland, where her research focuses on the acceptability of psychedelic assisted therapy in populations with advanced-stage cancer. Prior to this, Lucia completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and English at the University of Otago, as well as a Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy at Auckland University of Technology. Lucia believes that each individual is the best expert in their own life and endeavours to provide holistic support that honours each person’s unique needs and circumstances. She considers it a great privilege to walk alongside individuals impacted by cancer and their whānau, offering compassionate care throughout their journey.
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Jane is a registered Psychologist (specialisation in Health Psychology) who completed her clinical and research training at the University of Auckland. She takes a holistic, biopsychosocial approach to understanding health and well-being.
Jane is particularly interested in supporting individuals and families affected by cancer. She also has experience helping patients with chronic health conditions manage pain and life challenges. She takes a strengths-based, patient-centred approach, offering compassionate and culturally responsive care. Her primary therapeutic approaches include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and Self-Compassion.
Beyond her clinical work, Jane has a strong research background. Her Master’s thesis focused on medical compassion, while her PhD explored how self-compassion influences physical health and social well-being. She is passionate about developing self-awareness and connection to build meaningful relationships with others and the world.
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Zahra is a New Zealand registered Counselling Psychologist, who has significant experience working with people from a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. She has a passion for supporting those impacted by cancer, recognising each client’s experience is unique and she tailors the way she works to each client and their specific needs and situations. Her aim is to help improve client’s awareness, insight, skills and knowledge to manage their challenges and difficult thoughts and feelings and go towards a rich and meaningful life.
Providing a safe, non-judgmental and inclusive space is a priority and she works from a client-centered perspective, making sure that the client feels heard, understood and respected. The therapy she offers is holistic and draws on a wide range of evidence-based methods including Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy (CBT), trauma informed therapies and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
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I am a NZ registered health psychologist and came to healthcare following a varied work history including the trades, in manufacturing, and later in broadcast media. In my role as a psychologist in physical health settings, I have experience in primary care GP practices, and in hospitals working with inpatient and outpatient teams.
My approach centres on valuing you as the expert in your own life, and that I have training and knowledge in the area of health psychology, and so together we can explore strategies that work best for you to achieve your therapeutic goals. I have been fortunate to receive training in acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectic behavioral therapy, and I view self-compassion as a means that adds value to many psychological approaches.
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Cerys is Cancer Society Psychological Service’s intern psychologist. Currently, Cerys is pursuing her qualification as a registered Health Psychologist through the University of Auckland. Cerys has spent eight years volunteering, working, and studying in mental health areas, including recent research into digitalised stress management programmes for people with breast cancer, psychedelic assisted therapy in advanced-stage cancer populations, and meaning-centered psychotherapy for Māori and indigenous populations.
Cerys looks to take a meaningful, compassionate approach, providing a safe, non-judgmental and warm space for person-centered care. Cerys has a passion to support those impacted by cancer, offering tailored holistic support throughout each person’s unique experience.
Outside of this, Cerys enjoys being in nature with her current craft or knitting project and getting to the beach to be near the ocean.