Morgan Daw, BSW

I work from a person-centred, culturally sensitive base, drawing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, compassion-focused therapy, attachment-based work, and trauma-informed care depending on what fits the person in front of me. I don't work from a fixed script or a single modality applied the same way to every client. Some presentations respond well to structured, skills-based work. Others need a slower, more relational process before any technique is useful. I adjust based on what you bring in. I see relationship-building as the foundation of the work. Establishing a space where you feel heard and safe to be direct about what's going on matters more to me than moving quickly through a treatment plan. Some clients need short-term, solution-focused support for a specific issue. Others benefit from a longer-term therapeutic relationship, particularly where trauma, identity or longstanding patterns are involved. I have worked with both across university counselling, CAMHS and private practice, and I let the client's needs set the pace rather than a fixed number of sessions. I have specific experience working with LGBTQ+, neurodiverse and multicultural clients, including international students and people navigating cultural adjustment, identity development and the experience of living away from home. I also work with clients around sex-positive and kink-allied practice, open relationships and non-monogamy, and gender identity. If any of these are relevant to you, you don't need to explain or justify them to me. As a practitioner trained and registered in Aotearoa New Zealand, I hold an ongoing commitment to culturally safe practice and to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including active learning around te ao Māori and working to address bias in how care is delivered. This extends to how I show up with clients from any cultural background, including now working across cultures in Japan and all over the globe.