I thoroughly recommend Deirdre as your tutor. We have taught together for over 15 years with people from many walks of life. She will always be extremely knowledgeable and well prepared for your class. You will love her non-judgemental and practical style of teaching. Carolyn Inglis, Director, The Lakeland Learning Company, Taupō 
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Deirdre has been an adult educator in Taupō for more than 20 years. She has designed and taught courses ranging from communication, self-awareness and social skills to computer ergonomics and care of the elderly with both The Lakeland Learning Company and Waiariki Polytechnic. She has a post graduate Diploma in Education (with an Endorsement in Teaching Health and Social Education), Certificate in Adult Teaching, NZQA unit standards in Assessment and has attended a Te Tiriti o Waitangi course. Trained as an Occupational Therapist she worked in both in-patient and rehabilitation mental health in Wellington before coming to Taupō, where she raised her family and has lived with her partner for over 30 years. She has an MA in Social Anthropology focusing on research into women’s ritual practices and has a deep interest in comparative religion and mythology. A student of Buddhism in the Tibetan Karma Kagyu tradition for over 25 years she has a commitment to meditation practice in the midst of ordinary daily life and continues to attend retreats and teachings in combination with her daily practices. She has regular mindfulness supervision/mentoring and is currently training as a Buddhist Chaplain with Amitabha Hospice, Auckland. |
“As a committed practitioner of mindfulness I have used the techniques daily to help me through my own experience of stress associated with life-threatening illness. Attending a mindfulness course became a turning point for me when I found that current approaches in mindfulness training could be brought together with my own years of practice and experience in mental health, adult education and Buddhist meditation. It made me aware of the value of a programme that could apply some of the latest brain science research in support of effective practical techniques and inspired me to research and develop this training programme - which I now have a heartfelt desire to offer in my own community” 
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Deirdre is one of the most professional tutors I have ever known. Dedicated, knowledgeable, consciousness, and caring; she never fails to impress me. Helen Bateman, Director, The Lakeland Learning Company, Taupō
I very much enjoyed working with Deirdre for the 9 years in which we designed, established and delivered a variety of courses in and around the Taupō community. Throughout that time she showed herself to be extremely thorough in her search for accurate knowledge and to have the ability to translate it optimally into practical, meaningful and life-applicable ways that matched her students' learning styles and varied educational levels. She always invested great dedication, integrity and sensitivity to the needs of students into her work as an educator. Jenny Pehi, former Taupō Waiariki Polytechnic Co-ordinator and former Dean of Regional Centres for Waiariki Polytechnic
