Dr Sarah Hayward

My personal and professional work is with children, couples and families to support them to achieve loving relationships and wellbeing. I use the rich, attachment-based EFT approach in my work with couples and families. I have learnt that from a certain angle, love involves the desire to fully understand the experience of the other. I help people to understand themself, their partner, and the patterns that help or hinder the relationship, so that couples can be who they want to be with each other.

Prior to moving to New Zealand in 2005, I worked as a therapist and researcher for the Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queensland in Brisbane for over 10 years and am an accredited trainer for Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. In addition to working with couples, I specialise in working with parents, step-parents and foster parents to nourish their relationships with their children and to support children to develop to their potential.

I run a small private practice in Wellington. I am also a Principal Performance Auditor at the Office of the Auditor General, where I have led performance audits on child poverty and youth justice topics.

I completed my PhD in public health from the Queensland University of Technology in 2003. The topic of my PhD research was school-based mental health promotion. I have authored several articles on family risk factors, promoting family mental health, and the identification of children at risk of developing behavioural or emotional problems.