Grant & Christine Wattie
We know this from the inside.
Forty years married. 10,000+ client sessions. Two people who nearly lost what they were trying to protect, and rebuilt it. That is what we bring to your family.
Fourteen years into our marriage, while our photography business was taking us into Malaysian palaces and the homes of future prime ministers, Christine packed her bags.
The marriage that looked successful from the outside had been quietly eroding for years. We were busy, building, travelling, raising three children. Every day looked like it was working. The machinery underneath had been failing for a long time. We just hadn't examined it.
Our daughter Rachel said seven words that changed everything.
I just want you and Mum.
Grant sold the photography business. We chose the marriage. We did the real work, trained as counsellors, and spent the next twenty years learning what actually transforms relationships at the level of being, not behaviour.
What we learned rebuilding what had broken became the foundation of everything we now teach. We know what it costs to leave important conversations until it is almost too late. We also know what becomes possible when someone finally says the actual thing.
That is what we bring to your family. Not theory. The lived experience of people who have been where you are and found the way through.
Credentials
40+ Years Married
We have lived everything we teach.
10,000+ Client Sessions
Across two decades of professional counselling practice.
Certified Professional Counsellors (MNZAC)
Trained at New Zealand's first and most respected family therapy centre.
Authors of Legacy
Endorsed by James E. Hughes Jr., Dennis Jaffe PhD, and Keith Whitaker PhD.
5,000+ Couples and Families Helped
Across New Zealand, Australia, and globally.
Every Family Works With Us Directly
Not junior staff. Not associates. Grant and Christine. Always.
What Others Say
"Modern shamans... holding the space for what matters most."
James E. Hughes Jr. — Author, Family Wealth — Keeping It in the Family"What a wonderful book. It delivers so deeply on how to have a deep, honest and consequential family discussion."
Dennis T. Jaffe PhD — Author, Borrowed from Your Grandchildren"The Watties offer family members the courage to step up, be present, ask important questions, listen, and connect."
Keith Whitaker PhD — Wise Counsel Research, co-author Complete Family Wealth