Meet the Team
~ Wellington ~ Wairarapa ~ Auckland ~ Nelson ~ Queenstown ~ Wanaka ~
Amelia Volkerling Director & Educational Psychologist - Wellington
BA, PGDip Education & Professional Development, MEdPsych, PGDipEPP, MNZPS, MIEDPP, NZCER-approved Level A, B & C Assessor, registered Educational Psychologist
Educational psychology, professional development, therapeutic intervention
Amelia has worked in education and support services for over a decade. Throughout her career, she has been guided by two core aims: increasing awareness and acceptance of learning difficulties and neurodivergence, and building the capability of individuals, educators, and families. Amelia is passionate about helping people make sense of how they think, learn, and function in the world. She works with children and adults, and specialises in high-quality, evidence-based assessments to explore a person’s way of being and learning needs. Amelia ensures assessment processes are collaborative, comfortable and respectful where she and the client work together to understand the clients way of being, and learning needs. Amelia believes that a well-done assessment can be a powerful tool for driving self-understanding, advocacy, and positive change, whether for a child at school, an adult navigating work and relationships, or whānau seeking clarity. She provides counselling and behaviour change support, and has extensive experience in educational intervention, including structured literacy and targeted maths. Amelia supports the implementation of programmes and practical work-around strategies in the home, in educational settings, and in the workplace. She works with clients across the age range, with individuals, families, groups, and teams, and in a variety of settings. In addition to assessment services and therapeutic interventions, Amelia offers professional supervision, professional development, consultation, and training services. In all her casework, Amelia prioritises a partnership approach that ensures she can work alongside clients to develop practical, sustainable strategies that fit their context, needs, and goals. Amelia sees clients in person in the greater Wellington region and Wairarapa, in Nelson, and nationwide via telehealth.
Tim Lawther Director & Lead for Te Wheke Consultancy Services
Education policy development, programme design and roll-out
Tim is a policy analyst and has lead on structural education reform across multiple geographies. He has overseen new policies and curricula added to national systems, development of accredited courses, and various initiatives to raise inclusivity in education. Tim has deep planning and strategy experience, identifying the right actions to achieve the best results. He has in-depth monitoring and evaluation experience, tracking the effectiveness of social and economic initiatives, progress towards outcomes, and return on investment. Tim has also held business development roles in the education sector, promoting New Zealand’s unique offerings to international markets.
Erica Blundell Educational Psychologist - Wellington
MEdPsych, PGDipEPP, NZCER-approved Level A, B & C Assessor, registered Educational Psychologist
Erica is an educational psychologist who completed her training at Victoria University of Wellington. Erica has over ten years’ experience supporting learners across the board, from early childhood education through to tertiary level. Erica prioritises a strengths-based approach in all her work. When working with clients, Erica strives to design and implement responsive interventions that nurture a strong sense of self, and self-efficacy. Erica is a true people-person and values the genuine relationships she is able to form with clients and whānau through the setting and achieving of shared goals over time. She believes that positive community change comes from the use of appropriate tools and strategies that empower people, their whānau, and educators to support both themselves and others. Erica sees clients in person in the greater Wellington region and Wairarapa, and nationwide via telehealth.
Katherine Davies Educational Psychologist - Queenstown
MEdPsych, PGDipEPP, NZCER-approved Level A, B & C Assessor, registered Educational Psychologist
Katherine is a Queenstown-based educational psychologist with Te Wheke Ltd, and supports tamariki, whānau, educators, and the wider community. She returned to the education profession after working in community development and corporate roles, and brings a broad, reflective perspective to her practice. Throughout her educational psychology study, she worked as a teaching assistant and served as a trustee for a charity supporting neurodiverse tamariki and their whānau. Katherine is passionate about using assessment tools to support the collaborative development of practical and meaningful solutions to challenges in a person’s life and learning. Her work strongly values child voice and incorporates trauma-informed and therapeutic approaches that affirm and support young people and their families to thrive. She has particular experience working with older children diagnosed with ASD and/or ADHD, and their whānau. Katherine sees her Te Wheke clients in person in Queenstown and Wānaka, and nationwide via telehealth.
Marie Vanden Broeke Educational Psychologist - Christchurch
MSc Cognitive and Behavioural Neuropsych, MEdPsych, PGDipEPP, registered Educational Psychologist (New Zealand and France)
Marie is an Educational Psychologist based in Christchurch. Throughout her career, she has supported adults and children with a range of learning, behavioural, social, and emotional needs. She has particular experience with ADHD, autism, intellectual disability, and Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) across education and home settings.
Marie cares deeply about her clients and strives to provide support that is individualised to each person’s unique strengths, needs, and preferences. She focuses on conducting high-quality assessments and developing evidence-based interventions. Her goal is to empower clients, whānau, and professionals with knowledge and skills to promote positive change and improve quality of life.
Camille Educational Psychologist - Auckland
Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Psychology, Master Educational Psychology, PGDip.Edu (Ed.Psychology), GradDip.Teaching (Secondary), BA (Psychology/Spanish), A.T.C.L, Dip. Applied Mental Health, Tuning into Kids Facilitator, Further training completed in person centred Play Therapy and Trauma-informed Play Therapy
Camille is a New Zealand trained Educational Psychologist with a particular interest in understanding how children and young people think, learn and experience the world around them.
Her professional experience spans more than a decade, during which time she has worked as a Psychologist for the New Zealand Ministry of Education, primary and secondary schools, youth justice services, and multidisciplinary clinical rehabilitation settings in Europe. She works with tamariki, adolescents and families presenting with a diverse range of learning, behavioural, developmental, emotional and psychosocial needs.
Camille’s approach to assessment is careful, individualised and holistic. She believes that good psychological assessment should provide more than answers — it should provide understanding. Therefore her aim is to create a supportive and collaborative assessment experience which helps children, rangatahi, and their whanau recognise their strengths, make sense of their experiences, and work together to identify potential areas for growth, mapping a clear pathway forward.