Hester Phillips

Registered Arts Therapist and group facilitator Hester Phillips supports clients to realise their unique potential through somatic and Arts Therapy approaches to wellbeing. With a first-class Clinical Master’s degree and 20 years of experience as a group facilitator in community and mental health settings, Hester integrates her background as a certified Open Floor movement teacher and her training in Restorative Movement Psychotherapy and trauma-sensitive yoga. Operating a busy practice in Nelson, she combines clinical skill with a specialised focus on trauma-informed movement—a key theme of her master’s research. In addition to her therapeutic practice, she has created and led several group therapy programmes for ACC sensitive claims, including the popular Resilient Boundaries programme. Hester also trains therapists in Trauma Sensitive Group Facilitation and supervises group therapists working under the SCS contract.