About TPC
psychological assessment and treatment, education and ‘in service’ training for senior clinical psychology students.
Introducing
The Psychology Centre
The Psychology Centre aims to establish a model of best-practice service for providing psychological assessment and treatment. The client base includes referrals from several sources across the greater Waikato. In addition to referrals from GPs and other health providers, we contract our services for specific programmes or agencies (ACC, etc.). We also maintain a relationship with the Waikato DHB (Adult Mental Health Service & Infant Child Adolescent Mental Health service), seeing clients who may be eligible for publicly funded mental health services.
The Centre also has a role in providing education and “on-site” training in clinical psychology for senior graduate students of the University of Waikato Clinical Psychology Training Programme. As such Interns gain “hands on” experience in psychological assessment and treatment under the close supervision of the senior clinicians, who are the permanent staff of the Centre. The Centre provides important training for the University’s clinical psychology programme. Although the programme utilises a range of other placement facilities the Centre is the largest single clinical psychology practicum training venue for Intern Psychologists within the region.
Community
Clinical Students
Practicing Professionals
Research
Our educational role extends beyond clinical students to include qualified practitioners in clinical psychology, and other health and mental health professionals, who want to learn more about applying psychological understandings, and techniques within their field of practice. The Fully Qualified Staff can offer tailored education, consultancy, and supervision solutions in multiple areas of clinical activity.
Finally, the Centre acts as a research centre for Clinical Psychologists, and in particular for those working in association with Health Waikato and the University of Waikato, who are interested in conducting research aimed at improving treatment outcomes for clients. We are also keen to support other professions in clinical research that has a psychological focus.
Our Team
Comprising an ever-growing permanent staff of Registered Clinical Psychologists, combined with a small team of senior students from the University of Waikato supported by our administrator, Lyn.
Joshua Myers | Clinical Director, Supervisor
Psy.D, M.S. (Indiana State University, US), MNZCCP. MNZPsS
Josh is a registered clinical psychologist who has been working at TPC since 2012 and as the clinic director since 2015. He spent over 10 years working in private practice in Florida USA, where he specialised in child, adolescent and family health and served on the Board of Directors of the Florida Psychological Association for many years. He also has significant adolescent and adult forensic experience, completing court-ordered evaluations in Florida and New Zealand. He is currently an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Psychology, University of Waikato and is a regular presenter of papers and workshops locally and nationally. His current research interests include Common Factors in Psychotherapy, Application of Ethics, Supervision/Training and Systems of Diagnostic Classification
Natalie Parkes | Supervisor
M.Soc.Sci (Waikato) PGDip.Clin.Psych (Waikato), MNZCCP, MNZPsS
Natalie is Ngāti Apa (Whanganui) and bought up in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Her clinical psychology training was completed at the University of Waikato in 2003. Natalie’s clinical experience is within child development, health behaviour change, weight management, anxiety and depression. Much of her experience has been working with child development and disability, young people and families and more recently working with adults experiencing distress related to anxiety and depression. She is currently an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Psychology, University of Waikato and an active member of the Paediatric Society of New Zealand. She is also involved in the regional establishment of Raising Healthy Kids in coordination with the Waikato DHB.
Lyn Walsh | Administrator
Lyn has been the administrator at The Psychology Centre since January 2002, providing administrative support to the clinical staff and to the students and interns completing placements at the Centre as part of their post graduate clinical psychology diploma requirements.
Current Interns/Students
Tamsyn Berthlesen, Intern Psychologist
Abby Fox, Practicum Student
Joanna Chan, Practicum Student
