From a Psychologist who truly understands

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Image used with the kind permission of Mackenzie Thorpe

Serving individuals 10years+ across New Zealand • Telehealth sessions • Registered Educational Psychologist

Online, low-cost access to a psychologist, for all those experiencing literacy difficulties.

Discover how your thinking strengths can enable you to thrive, while your literacy difficulties can become better understood and supported.

About Ana

My journey into psychology started at Sussex University, where I completed my undergraduate thesis on dyslexia. During my Master's in Educational Psychology at Massey University, I completed study in literacy difficulties, intervention design, and child wellbeing. In my Post Graduate Diploma in Developmental and Educational Psychology I learnt how to design pragmatic assessment that then guides effective intervention. 

Registered as an Educational Psychologist with the New Zealand Psychologists Board, I've worked with the Ministry of Education for 5 years. I then continued on to do general practice work through The Child Psychology Service, which I continue to do.

I'm not just a psychologist who has trained in literacy difficulties, I am dyslexic myself. This gives me a unique perspective: I can truly appreciate the power of the thinking strengths associated with dyslexia whilst I also deeply empathise with the challenges it presents for an individual’s educational pathway and how it can affect someone’s life experiences. It also means I have a vested interest in exploring many of the technological supports that continue to be developed for people with dyslexia.

Why This Matters for You

You want a psychologist who

Prioritises understanding of your strengths, and does not focus just on your struggles

Establishes a strong relational basis for assessment and intervention

Has extensively studied the theory and research on literacy difficulties and is informed by lived experience.

This isn't just cognitive testing. It's an insightful opportunity to learn about your thinking strengths whilst developing a clear understanding of your literacy difficulties. This information allows for a positive and realistic intervention plan.

Assessment That Reveals Strengths and Creates Solutions

Practice Principles

Strength-Based

Your cognitive assessment highlights where you shine, supporting your self-esteem and providing a clear positive pathway forward

Ecological

Your relationships, roles and activities across all contexts guide the assessment and intervention plan

Research-Driven

Evidence-based literacy development theory and current research guides every step of your journey

Solution-Focused

We uncover what already works for you and build on those strengths to create lasting progress

Skill-Building

We develop a shared understanding of your psychological and literacy-based skills so that we can then see how to build on them

Collaborative

Your support team works together, so we can weave our knowledge for the best possible outcomes for you

Services

Online Dyslexia Assessment Process

Initial Consultation

One-hour meeting with parents/caregivers via Zoom. We'll:

  • Determine if online assessment will work for you

  • Gather background information

  • Identify contact information for key individuals across home and school

  • Discuss diagnostic vs. needs-based assessment options

  • Schedule both your assessment and feedback meeting

The Assessment

2 to 4 hours of cognitive and literacy-based assessment, with additional assessment tools used as needed. Includes planned breaks throughout. Comfortable, conducted in your own home.

Note: Online assessment is appropriate for individuals 10+ years without significant anxiety or complex co-occurring difficulties. I am passionate however about providing assessment and intervention services for younger students, and supporting those with complex needs, but this work requires meeting face-to-face in my Queenstown office.

Feedback Meeting

Using visuals, we’ll discuss your thinking strengths, the nature of your literacy difficulties and next steps, ensuring you feel positively understood, confident and empowered.

Written Report

A concise report, as free from psychological jargon and statistics as possible, describing:

The ecological context for the individual

A strength-based perspective

The nature of the literacy difficulties

Priority literacy, cognitive, and/or psychological skill interventions

Support strategies that prevent dyslexia limiting your access to learning

Accommodations to help you thrive

Signed NZQA Special Assessment Conditions form (if applicable)

*Assessment of co-occurring difficulties
Reading challenges often occur alongside other cognitive, emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. As needed, we can explore other difficulties and if required other areas of neurodiversity (in which case I would also connect you with other appropriate professionals and services). Please note the assessment of co-occurring difficulties would require additional work and would therefore be priced differently to the standard assessment package detailed below.

Schedule An Assessment Consultation

Your report maybe just the beginning of our relationship. I offer online support for:

Home-School Collaboration
Implementing strength-based individual education programmes (IEPs)

Direct Skill Development

☑️ Literacy skills using low-cost, research-based digital programmes
(20 mins/day, 3+ times weekly, proven effective).

☑️ Cognitive skills that directly impact literacy

☑️ Psychological skills using solution-focused brief therapy, psychoeducation, mindfulness-based approaches, CBT and play therapy techniques

Intervention Support

Schedule a consultation for intervention
Hourly Rate Full Assessment Package
Standard Pathway NZ$230 NZ$2,300
Low-Cost Pathway NZ$130 NZ$1,300

Cost

Making Assessment Accessible: A Social Entrepreneurial Model

Psychology services shouldn't be out of reach. I use a cross-subsidy model where standard-rate clients help fund a sustainable low-cost pathway (the low-cost pathway will constitute 25% to 50% of my monthly caseload).

The low-cost pathway can be accessed by anyone who needs it. You can also seek out further financial support from local charities (like Pivotal Point), churches and schools who may directly contribute towards costs.

Additional costs:

●       Cognitive and literacy-based assessment materials: Approximately NZ$100

●       No GST charges until 31 March 2026

Payment options:

●       Payment options are discussed at the end of the initial consult:

●       Full assessment fee can be paid in one amount

●       'Pay as you go' arrangements available

●       Direct payment from insurance companies not accepted

schedule a consutation

What Clients Say

“It has been really fantastic getting an insight into [my child’s] learning, and we are excited about the next steps”

“She really enjoyed the experience.”

“You were great at giving [my child] ideas on what supports they can put in place to support their learning.”

“You’ captured [my child] perfectly”

Additional Information

Understanding dyslexia: A Strengths-Based Perspective

People with dyslexia typically demonstrate thinking strengths across

Material reasoning

spatial abilities

Interconnected thinking

seeing relationships and connections

Narrative thinking

storytelling and personal memory

Dynamic thinking

predictive, inductive and big-picture thinking

The Diagnostic Picture

Dyslexia is a language-based reading difficulty that directly affects reading and spelling, and sometimes impacts writing, maths, and social-emotional development. In New Zealand, it's defined as a a difficulty with accurate or fluent reading, writing, and spelling skills which develop incompletely or with great difficulty, often due to phonological processing difficulties.

The latest diagnostic manual (DSM-5) classifies dyslexia under Specific Learning Disorders. It's a pattern of learning difficulties characterised by persistent problems with accurate or fluent word reading, poor decoding, and poor spelling despite targeted intervention. The DSM-5 diagnostic process removes the historic link between specific learning difficulties and intelligence (as long as individuals do not exhibit general intellectual disability).

Important: Dyslexia is One Type of Reading Difference

Not all reading difficulties are dyslexia. Your assessment will identify the specific nature of your reading challenges, providing clarity as to whether it fits the dyslexic profile or another subtype.

Why Online Assessment Works

Research since COVID-19 continues to establish telehealth validity for cognitive learning assessments:

  • Lampis et al. (2024): Valid and reliable assessment of children's learning skills via telehealth (79 children studied)

  • Capodieci et al. (2023): Significant improvements in reading fluency and writing accuracy through telehealth intervention (73 children)

  • Casalini & Pecini (2024): No outcome differences between face-to-face and telehealth dyslexia intervention

  • Walker et al. (2023): Telehealth feasible and acceptable across most cognitive domains

Ready to connect?

Let's Understand Your Literacy Journey Together

Whether you're a young person curious about how your brain works, a parent seeking answers and support for your child, or an adult ready to understand lifelong challenges, I'm here to help.

Get in Touch

I'll respond within 24 hours, Monday to Friday (NZST)