meet the team at Thrive psychology centre

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About Melanie Prinsloo — Senior Clinical Psychologist

Melanie Prinsloo is a Senior Clinical Psychologist registered with the New Zealand Psychologists Board (NZPB) and a full member of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists (NZCCP). She brings over 16 years of clinical experience to her work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families, and is a trusted provider of psychology services in Auckland.

Extensive International and Local Experience

Melanie began her career in South Africa—often referred to as the “rainbow nation”—where she worked across diverse clinical settings, including private practice, a trauma centre, and multiple public health departments. From 2010 to 2016, she gained significant experience supporting individuals from a wide range of cultural backgrounds through both assessment and therapy. After relocating to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2016, Melanie worked within the Department of Corrections in both prison and community probation settings, broadening her expertise in complex clinical presentations. She later joined a well-established private practice in Auckland and contributed to the Counties Manukau Matariki Service, providing specialist ADHD and ASD assessments for children and young people.

Founder of Thrive Psychology Centre

In 2021, Melanie founded Thrive Psychology Centre in Takapuna. Her aim was to create a warm, purpose-designed space where clients can safely explore their experiences, deepen self-understanding, and work toward meaningful personal growth.

A Culturally Responsive Practitioner

Fluent in English and Afrikaans, Melanie is actively developing her competency in te reo Māori and is committed to practising in a way that honours Māori and Pasifika values, whānau structures, and cultural perspectives. She considers it both a privilege and a professional responsibility to work respectfully with clients from all cultural backgrounds.

Therapeutic Approach and Specialist Training

Melanie works from an ecosystemic and integrative perspective, drawing on:

• EMDR therapy (her primary area of specialty)
• Ego-State Therapy / Parts work
• Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Schema Therapy
• Family therapy principles

She is an Accredited EMDR Practitioner and Consultant-in-Training, having completed EMDR Levels 1 and 2, along with extensive advanced training. Melanie has trained with leading international experts such as Arianne Struik, Dr Roger Solomon, Robin Shapiro, Astrid Katzur, Delores Mosquera, and Dr Phil Manfield. A professional highlight has been attending Dr Roger Solomon’s international masterclasses on complex trauma, structural dissociation, and grief and loss.

Trauma Expertise and ACC Provider

Melanie is an accredited provider with ACC Sensitive Claims and Active-Plus. She specialises in treating trauma, including PTSD, Complex PTSD, dissociation, and the effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and family violence. She is experienced in working across the full dissociative spectrum and tailors therapy carefully to each client’s pace and needs.

Clinical Interests and Assessment Expertise

Melanie has strong clinical interests in:

• ADHD
• Trauma (PTSD, C-PTSD, Dissociative Disorders)      
• Anxiety disorders (including social anxiety, health anxiety, phobias)
• OCD and intrusive thoughts
• Depression and bipolar disorder
• Eating disorders
• Relationship and adjustment difficulties
• Addiction
• Bereavement and loss

Her assessment expertise includes comprehensive evaluations for:

• ADHD (children, adolescents, adults)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) — trained      through Vanderbilt Kennedy University (USA) and Clinique Spectrum (Canada)
• PTSD, Complex PTSD, and dissociation

Professional Supervision

Melanie provides clinical supervision to both early-career and senior psychologists, supporting their development, reflective practice, and clinical excellence.

Availability and Professional Development

Due to the complexity of her caseload, Melanie has limited capacity for new clients or supervisees; however, expressions of interest can be submitted by emailing admin@thrivepsychologycentre.com.

Melanie is committed to lifelong learning and regularly attends seminars, workshops, and advanced training to ensure her practice remains aligned with current research and evidence-based approaches. She continues to deepen her expertise in EMDR therapy, complex trauma, and dissociative processes.

Dr Gudrun Court is a highly experienced, registered senior Clinical Psychologist with more than 25 years of practice across Scotland and Aotearoa New Zealand. After a long career in the public sector—working in mental health, medical psychology, rehabilitation, and specialist hospital services—she is now fully dedicated to her private practice.

Gudrun has supported clients across the lifespan, with particular expertise in trauma, emotional dysregulation, identity struggles, relationship patterns, grief, and the psychological impact of physical health conditions. Her background includes senior roles in adult mental health, endocrinology, cardiac and medical services, and older adult rehabilitation. She has designed and led psychological services, supervised clinicians, contributed to clinical governance, and presented internationally on psychosocial wellbeing for patients and carers.

In private practice, Gudrun tailors therapy to each individual, drawing from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based approaches. Her therapeutic style is compassionate, collaborative, and practical—supporting clients to gain clarity, improve emotional resilience, strengthen relationships, and move toward meaningful, lasting change.

If you are facing trauma, loss, life transitions, health-related challenges, anxiety, or relationship difficulties, Gudrun provides a safe, skilled space to explore your experiences and build a more grounded, fulfilling future.

Qualifications:
DClinPsych (University of Edinburgh) | MPhil Psychology (University of Abertay) | MA Psychology (University of Dundee)

Aramis is an experienced, registered senior Clinical Psychologist and full member of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists (MNZCCP). Born and raised on Auckland’s North Shore, he brings a grounded, relational approach to supporting clients across the lifespan. He has extensive experience in psychological assessment, diagnosis, and the development of individualised treatment plans for a wide range of mental health concerns.

Aramis works therapeutically with clients experiencing difficulties related to control, uncertainty, and anxiety. He has particular expertise in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and a range of anxiety disorders. He is also highly skilled in the assessment and diagnosis of ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders, drawing on neuropsychological tools and specialised clinical interviewing and observation techniques.

With a background spanning both public and private sectors, Aramis integrates multiple evidence-based therapeutic modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). He is also passionate about group work and has experience designing and facilitating evidence-based programmes for parents and young people.

Aramis takes a dialogical, relationally focused approach, prioritising strong therapeutic connections and meaningful collaboration. He works alongside clients—and when appropriate, their families—to help them create lasting, values-aligned change. His style is warm, practical, and grounded in the belief that therapy should feel like a supportive partnership.

Aramis enjoys helping people move toward the lives they want to lead and is committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based care in every stage of the therapeutic process.