Meet the Team
~ Wellington ~ Wairarapa ~ Auckland ~ Nelson ~ Queenstown ~ Wanaka ~
Amelia Volkerling Co-Principal & Educational Psychologist
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 Co-Principal
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
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
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.