About Us
Dr Olli Anttila, MD Psychoanalyst, Psychiatrist
- Member of International Psychoanalytical Association (IPA) and Australian Psychoanalytical Society (APAS)
- Fellow, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (FRANZCP)
I did my medical and psychiatric training at Helsinki University, Finland, and after completing my medical specialist training I trained as a Psychoanalyst, also in Finland. As well I spent several years in different psychodrama groups and in bioenergetics training. All this has helped me to understand better the depth of psychological and physiological changes that take place during a therapeutic process.
I have been living and working in New Zealand since 1990 and I work in a full time private practice seeing mainly other professionals in long-term psychoanalysis or psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy. I also supervise many colleagues but try to keep the supervision hours under one third of my total clinical practice hours.
Time allowing I like to do group therapy as well.
One of my special interests is to help people who are in a life crisis; like spiritual crisis, marriage break-up or a major change in life. Usually this sort of work is of short duration and can make a big difference into a person’s life when the right interventions are made at the right time.
I don’t belong to any religious group but I believe in the goodness of the human heart and our immense potential for healing.
I believe that major changes on this planet will happen during our life time and everybody’s life will be affected. I am a member of New Zealand Green Party.
The fee for the first consultation is $350 and the fees for long-term work are negotiated individually.
Kerry Thomas-Anttila
Registered Psychotherapist
- MA (Hons) Canterbury University
- MHSc. (Hons) (Psychotherapy) AUT University
- Grad. Dip. Psych. Soc. AUT University
- Registered with Psychotherapists Board of Aoteoroa New Zealand
- Member, NZ Association of Psychotherapists (MNZAP).
My initial academic interests lay in the area of languages and I completed a Master of Arts in German language and literature in my early 20s. Following this I worked for about 15 years in the public health service (mostly in large hospital settings) in the employee relations field. I am very familiar with organizational and individual dynamics within large groups and organizations and how they impact on each other.
Following an extensive clinical training in psychotherapy (Master of Health Science, Psychotherapy) I now work as a psychotherapist in private practice. I am also currently engaged in a further three year clinical training with the Australasian Institute of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.
My interests include working on an individual basis with people suffering from depression, anxiety and existential difficulties, as well as with people who are going through a transitional period in their lives, including relationship issues, and who are dealing with grief and loss.
I believe that we are relational beings and that as we increase our own self-awareness and self-responsibility we become more able to have the relationships with ourselves and others that we long for.
My preference is for long-term psychotherapy, as my experience is that long-standing change best occurs within the context of significant and ongoing work. There are, however, times when short-term work is indicated, for example, there is a particular issue being focused on. To find out which is most appropriate for you we would spend some time clarifying your current difficulties or issues and talk together about an approach that would best suit you.
The fee for individual work is $120 for a 50 minute session, and $150 for couples work (60-70 minutes). This is negotiable for those on a low income, for tertiary students and for those on a WINZ benefit