More about me

Simon Banks (he/him)
Registered Psychotherapist – Individual & Couples Therapy in Auckland or Online

I’m a registered psychotherapist offering both individual and couples therapy in Devonport, Auckland or online. My work is integrative — drawing on psychodynamic, existential, person-centred, and somatic traditions — and is deeply informed by trauma, attachment, and nervous system science.

I hold a Master of Arts in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy and am a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, a Level 3 PACT therapist (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy), and trained in Dynamic Attachment Repatterning (DARe). I also bring over 17 years of experience in addiction and disordered eating, and 14 years in private practice with individuals and couples.

Whether you’re an individual navigating anxiety, addiction, trauma, or depression — or a couple struggling with communication, disconnection, conflict or betrayal — therapy can offer the kind of support that creates lasting change.

Individuals come to me for many reasons: feeling stuck in patterns of anxiety, low self-worth, addiction, depression, emotional overwhelm, or just a vague sense of disconnection from life or self. Often, people are navigating transitions, grief, burnout, family issues, creative blocks, or complex relational dynamics. Whatever brings you, we’ll work together to understand what’s happening beneath the surface — shaped by early experiences, attachment patterns, and survival responses that may no longer serve you. The goal isn’t to “fix” you, but to support reconnection to your own vitality, clarity, and centre.

Couples come to me for many reasons: repeated arguments, a loss of intimacy, parenting struggles, emotional shutdowns, or the aftermath of betrayal. Often, the issue looks like one thing — money, sex, work/life balance, parenting, or "communication" — but underneath, there are patterns shaped by each partner’s early experiences of care and connection. Together, we uncover and shift these dynamics in real time, using the body, the present moment, and the therapeutic relationship as our guides. The aim is to move from disconnection and reactivity toward secure functioning — where both partners feel seen, valued, and in each other’s care.

My Background

Before becoming a therapist, I worked in the music industry as an artist manager — a world that gave me insight into human complexity, creativity, and pressure. Over time, my own experiences of depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship struggles and recovery led me to pursue psychotherapy, first training and practising in the UK, before moving to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2015.

I’ve since trained in a range of modalities including:

• Somatic Experiencing (certified practitioner) – working directly with the nervous system to complete unresolved survival responses.

• Dynamic Attachment Repatterning (DARe) – helping clients reconnect with secure attachment and gently unwind early relational adaptations.

• PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy) – a powerful model integrating neuroscience, arousal regulation, and adult attachment.

• Nonviolent Communication (NVC) – trained mediator and practitioner, bringing empathic communication into relationship work.

• Yoga & Body-Based Practices – as a 200hr certified yoga instructor, I value the role of the body in healing, especially in trauma recovery.

• 12-Step Recovery Integration – with over 17 years of personal and professional experience in addiction and disordered eating recovery.

How I Work

Every client is different, and every story matters. My integrative approach means I tailor therapy to your needs — drawing from psychodynamic insight, somatic awareness, attachment science, and present-moment experience. Whether working with trauma, addiction, relational pain, identity exploration or nervous system overwhelm, the goal is not perfection, but reconnection — to self, to others, to what matters most.

For couples, therapy becomes a live relational lab — a place to slow things down, notice reactivity, shift patterns, and practice secure functioning. For individuals, it’s often a return to what was buried or forgotten — bringing compassion, curiosity and care to what you’ve been carrying.

I believe the most important part of therapy is the relationship between therapist and client. This is why I offer a free 20-minute video consultation — so we can get a feel for each other and see if working together feels like a good fit.

Credentials & Memberships

• Master of Arts – Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy

• Registered with the Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand (PBANZ)

• Member – New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists (NZAP)

• Member – British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

• Certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP)

• Trained in DARe Levels 1, 2 & 4

• Certified in PACT Levels 1, 2 & 3

• Certified Nonviolent Communication Mediator

• 200hr Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT)

If something in your life or relationship isn’t working, and you feel ready to explore a different way forward, I’d be glad to meet you. I offer therapy for individuals and couples in Devonport, Auckland or online, working at the pace and depth that feels right for you.