Anna Friis and Grace dos Santos are counselling psychologists who have recently opened SELF, their new clinic, located on the corner of Ponsonby Road and Vermont Street.

As they told Ponsonby News. “Ten years ago, I completed a PhD contributing to the growing scientific evidence demonstrating that self-compassion can significantly improve both mental and physical health.

“Over the past decade, my clinical work, research, and leadership in the field of mindful self-compassion — teaching in New Zealand and internationally — have continually reinforced what the data shows: when people learn to relate to themselves with compassion rather than criticism, resilience strengthens, emotional regulation improves, and meaningful, sustainable change becomes possible.

“What has moved both of us the most is not simply the research, but the lived transformation — senior leaders navigating complexity with greater steadiness, health professionals rediscovering clarity and purpose, and individuals learning to meet themselves with courage rather than self-judgement.

"At SELF, our team offers an integrative and deeply compassionate approach to therapy — combining evidence-based psychological treatment with mindfulness and self-compassion practices. 

Fundamentally,  what makes us a bit different in our approach is our belief and lived practice that the  future of mental health care lies in clinical excellence delivered with humanity — where compassion is not an adjunct to therapy, but foundational to it.

“Both of us a long time Ponsonby dwellers,  first meeting at university more than 15 years ago. Originally from Brazil, Grace first made a name for herself as a model and then returned to university to go on to become an exceptional therapist and psychologist in Auckland. 

“The vision for SELF is hers, and together with my work in the self-compassion field, this partnership has felt like a natural evolution for us both.”

SELF, 1 Vermont Street, T: 021 424 951, www.self.co.nz

#ponsonbynews #iloveponsonby #loveponsonby #auckland #aucklandshippestrip #onlyponsonby #ponsonbyroad #Greylynn #freemansbay #westmere #ponsonby #hernebay #stmarysbay #archhill #coxsbay @followers #followers @everyone #everyone #waitematalocalboard @highlight