My approach to counselling, and to counsellor education, draws upon theories of social constructionism and poststructuralism. I am a graduate of the University of Waikato Master of Counselling programme, and have practiced as a counsellor since 1995. Prior to 2007, when I joined the University of Waikato teaching staff, I practiced in statutory and non-government agencies, working with children, young people and families, and supporting children and young people around abuse and sexuality issues. Some of my counselling work was with and within schools. I co-facilited programmes in both prison and community settings for adult and adolescent men who had sexually harmed other people.

In my PhD thesis I analysed language used by significant adults in children's lives about ideas and practices of childhood and sexuality, and the effects of this language for adults. I have continued to be consulted by agencies and schools about practice and research questions related to child sexuality, and about concerning sexual behaviour, and evaluation of programmes. 

I am a registered member of the NZ Association of Counsellors Te Roopu Kaiwhiriwhiri o Aotearoa (since 1996), and was on the National Supervision Committee from 2011 to 2018. In 2020, I was an editor of the New Zealand Journal of Counselling (2020-2023), and serve on the editorial board for the Journal of LGBT Youth. I am a member of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abuse (ANZATSA) and was on the executive committee from 2020 to 2023. I have contributed to reviewing ethics in research since 2002 in a variety of committees - including Health & Disability (Waikato and Northern Y committees, 2002-2011); the University of Waikato committee (2008-2015); the Division of Education committee (2022-current); and in collaboration with Dr Martin Tolich, co-founded in 2008 a national community focused committee, the NZ Ethics Committee (now the Aotearoa Research Ethics Committee - see https://aotearoaresearchethics.org/).