Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Wellington branch, New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists is pleased to nominate Victoria Smith for a Distinguished Service Award for her longstanding contribution to NZAP.
She has always had a commitment to supporting others as evidenced by originally training to be a teacher and a social worker, then taking this further in training as a psychotherapist. She has been associated with NZAP for over thirty years.
Victoria originally trained in Christchurch, in Transactional Analysis and worked with children and adolescents for 8 years at the CAMHS service there. She later set up the STOP programme with a colleague, working to help adolescent sex offenders. Child and family work (as well as work with adults) was the main focus of her work as a psychotherapist, and later couples work. She trained as an Imago therapist and was a founding member of Imago Aotearoa New Zealand, fulfilling the role of Secretary for 8 years and Chairperson for 1.
Over the years, she has been involved in both initial and final panel assessments for candidates undertaking the ACP pathway. She has spent many years representing NZAP on the Allied Health Aotearoa New Zealand (AHANZ) committee, as well as with ACC, first as a member of the sexual abuse advisory group (SCAG), and later on the Sexual Violence Customer Advisory Panel. Victoria has worked and advocated diligently on behalf of clients and practitioners through the many changes at ACC. She is on (and now Chair of) the Mental Health and Addictions Committee, and a member the NZAP Academy working group. Victoria has also been a Co-chair of the Wellington NZAP branch, and a Branch representative on Council. In her role with AHANZ she worked during the Pandemic as the COVID liaison between the Ministry of Health and NZAP. She is a current member of Council.
Victoria is known for her dedication, her compassion, and her generosity and support for others. In the last 10 years Victoria gained international training as a Yoga teacher and currently is training in yoga therapy as a way of working with some of her clients (in awareness of the body-mind connection).
She passionately helps her clients navigate the ACC system and has specialized in working with trauma. She is not afraid to speak out when she sees unfairness or discrimination towards clients, or on behalf of her NZAP colleagues.
We wish to acknowledge in particular the hours of work she gave to NZAP through the COVID pandemic. She sent updates via Inform and set up Zoom meetings with members to keep us up to date with the ever-changing criteria from the Ministry. She has played a significant role in keeping us as health providers, and our clients, safe.
This award acknowledges her longstanding dedication to supporting others, and her commitment to the Association.
(2023)