Diane Zwimpfer is honoured for her dedication and commitment to professionalism in Psychotherapy and her contribution to NZAP nationally and locally.
Diane’s professional career began in social work, focussing mainly on adoption and fostering. She had an interest in unconscious processes and wrote a Masters thesis on organisational unconscious process in the placement of children for adoption. She moved from social work to become a student counsellor at Victoria University in 1984, working there for 17 years, latterly combining this with private practice. Her continuing interest in psychotherapy led her to enrol in the second cohort of Self Psychology training delivered from Australia. She became an applicant member of NZAP in 1988 and achieved full membership in 1992.
Diane’s dedication to high professional standards quickly brought her to the supervision of provisional members and she joined the Wellington regional supervisors’ group in 1994, with unbroken membership of this group since then. She co-chaired the Wellington NZAP branch for a year and has been an enthusiastic supporter of branch activities.
Diane has a strong commitment to NZAP’s admission processes, tirelessly promoting fair and consistent marking procedures as a member of the Admissions Committee since 1999 and as a marker and moderator. She has been significant in joint processes of creating and maintaining standards that reflect an understanding of the core attributes of a psychotherapist, attributes that stand independent of modality.
Diane avoids the limelight yet sits in the background as a potent force within the association; she is a leader who has not sat in the leader’s chair, yet who has had considerable influence. Her generosity, warmth and enthusiasm combine with a rigorous pursuit of high professional standards and a strong belief in community of effort.
Diane now works entirely in private practice as a psychotherapist and supervisor. As a supervisor she has benefitted many provisional and full members of the association and, as a psychotherapist she stands in the highest regard of her peers and clients.