Master of Counselling
University of Auckland · Final year. Advanced study grounded in ethical, reflective and evidence-informed counselling practice.
About Four Pillars
Meet Jonathan Kirk, PMNZAC
Provisional Member, New Zealand Association of Counsellors · 10+ years’ experience supporting people through counselling and therapeutic work · Gottman Level 1 & 2 trained
The person behind the practice
A grounded counsellor with a broad view of real life.
Good counselling should feel human: thoughtful, honest and useful in the life you are actually living.
Jonathan is a Provisional Member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (PMNZAC), with 10+ years’ experience supporting people through counselling and therapeutic work. He has completed Level 1 and Level 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. He is currently in the final year of the Master of Counselling at the University of Auckland and also holds master's degrees in business administration and legal studies.
His wider working life has also included health and fitness, business leadership, legal work and wildland firefighting. That varied path shapes how he works with people navigating anxiety, burnout, relationship strain, grief, identity questions and major change.
His style is calm, direct and collaborative. Sessions make room for the detail of what has happened, while also helping you notice patterns, reconnect with strengths and decide what a workable next step might look like.
Jonathan draws from person-centred, cognitive behavioural, acceptance and commitment, narrative and existential therapies, Te Whare Tapa Whā and Gottman-informed couples work. The approach is tailored to you rather than forcing every person through the same model.
Qualifications
Clinical training supported by a wider perspective
Jonathan’s education spans counselling, business and law. These different lenses support thoughtful, practical work with complex lives.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Completed Level 1 and Level 2 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, supporting structured assessment and practical relationship interventions.
Master of Business Administration
Postgraduate training in leadership, organisations and decision-making, adding practical perspective to work and life challenges.
Master of Legal Studies
Postgraduate legal study that developed careful analysis, ethical reasoning and an understanding of complex systems.
What matters here
The values behind the work
A steady therapeutic relationship, shaped around respect, curiosity and practical change.
Human before clinical
A warm, respectful relationship comes first. You will be met as a whole person, not reduced to a label or a problem.
Practical and collaborative
We make sense of what is happening together, then find useful steps that fit your life, values and pace.
Inclusive by design
Four Pillars is LGBTQIA+ affirming, culturally aware and welcoming of different faiths, identities and family structures.
A varied path
Experience that connects counselling to everyday life
Social work & therapeutic roles
More than a decade supporting people across social work and human-services settings, including direct work as a therapist and counsellor.
Health and fitness
Working with the body reinforced the connection between physical health, stress, confidence and emotional wellbeing.
Law and leadership
Business and legal work brought first-hand understanding of pressure, responsibility, change and difficult decisions.
Counselling
Those varied perspectives now support grounded, person-centred work with adults, couples and young people.
Ready when you are
The best way to know whether it feels right is to talk.
Contact Jonathan with any questions, or view live availability when you are ready to book.