Sweeping proposed changes to the University of Otago's counselling service will make a bad situation worse, the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists says. The university wants to replace seven counselling staff with a mix of clinical psychologists and new support roles in a move it says will reduce waiting times. Four of the seven counselling roles are psychotherapists. NZAP member Joy Hayward, on behalf of the Otago Southland branch, said the already stretched service would be ''downgraded'' further. Ms Hayward said it was wrong to assume the input of clinical psychologists was more valuable than that of psychotherapists.

Source: Otago Daily Times October 17, 2017 16:04 UTC