Lead Clinical Therapist

Long White Cloud Healthcare; Havelock North; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Competitive remuneration

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Long White Cloud Healthcare in Havelock North, North Island, is seeking an experienced Psychologist or Counsellor to lead a specialist residential treatment programme for young adults with significant mental health challenges. You will provide clinical leadership to a multidisciplinary team while maintaining a small clinical caseload and contributing to programme development.

The ideal candidate has postgraduate qualifications in clinical psychology or counselling psychology, a current

Qualifications

• Registered Psychologist or Counsellor with current practising certificate.
• Postgraduate qualification in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, or equivalent.
• Minimum 5 years experience working in mental health settings.
• Experience with self-harm, suicidality, trauma, and high-risk presentations.
• Demonstrated leadership or senior clinical experience.
• Training in DBT, CBT, ACT, MBT, EMDR, or other evidence-based therapies.
• Experience providing clinical supervision.
• Experience in residential treatment, inpatient, or therapeutic community settings.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership and oversight across the residential programme
• Ensure delivery of safe, ethical, trauma-informed, and evidence-based care
• Support development of a therapeutic culture grounded in compassion, respect, and recovery
• Lead risk assessment and management processes relating to self-harm and suicidality
• Facilitate regular clinical review meetings and reflective practice
• Supervise and support psychologists, therapists, support staff, and residential clinicians
• Provide consultation and guidance on complex clinical presentations
• Foster staff wellbeing, resilience, and professional development
• Maintain a small caseload of residents requiring specialist psychological input
• Conduct psychological assessments and develop treatment formulations

Skills

Clinical leadership

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Trauma-informed care

Relational models of care

Residential treatment experience

Education

Postgraduate qualification in Clinical Psychology

Postgraduate qualification in Counselling Psychology

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Long White Cloud Healthcare – Havelock North, North Island

We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Psychologist or Counsellor to lead a specialist residential treatment programme supporting young adults experiencing significant mental health challenges, emotional dysregulation, self-harm, and related difficulties. This is a unique opportunity to shape and lead a therapeutic community that provides intensive, trauma-informed, evidence-based care within a safe and nurturing residential environment. The Clinical Lead will provide clinical leadership to a multidisciplinary team while maintaining a small clinical caseload and contributing to programme development, quality improvement, and staff wellbeing.

Key responsibilities

Provide clinical leadership and oversight across the residential programme

Ensure delivery of safe, ethical, trauma-informed, and evidence-based care

Support development of a therapeutic culture grounded in compassion, respect, and recovery

Lead risk assessment and management processes relating to self-harm and suicidality

Facilitate regular clinical review meetings and reflective practice

Supervise and support psychologists, therapists, support staff, and residential clinicians

Provide consultation and guidance on complex clinical presentations

Foster staff wellbeing, resilience, and professional development

Maintain a small caseload of residents requiring specialist psychological input

Conduct psychological assessments and develop treatment formulations

About you

Registered Psychologist or Counsellor with current practising certificate

Postgraduate qualification in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, or equivalent

Minimum 5 years experience working in mental health settings

Experience working with self-harm, suicidality, trauma, and high-risk presentations

Demonstrated leadership or senior clinical experience

Strong understanding of trauma-informed and relational models of care

Excellent interpersonal, communication, and multidisciplinary collaboration skills

Experience in residential treatment, inpatient, or therapeutic community settings

Training in DBT, CBT, ACT, MBT, EMDR, or other evidence-based therapies

Experience providing clinical supervision

Opportunity to shape and lead an innovative therapeutic programme

Supportive and values-driven organisational culture

Professional development and supervision opportunities

Meaningful work making a lasting difference in young peoples lives

Competitive remuneration and relocation support (if applicable)