Sam Farmer | HMA

Sam Farmer

Registered Psychologist (NZPsB); Memberships: NZPsS; CPSIG(NZ); BPS; ISCP

“I coach others through change so that they reach the best that they can be. Three fundamental values guide my practice: quality relationships; meaningful work; inner harmony.”


For more than twenty-five years, Sam’s area of excellence is in facilitating personal and professional growth.  Having originally trained as a probation officer and gained his Masters in Forensic Psychology, Sam now practices as a Coaching Psychologist.  Whether providing psychosocial support in the humanitarian context, engaging a leadership team, or facilitating a group of criminal justice practitioners, Sam has coached and trained professionals in the state, not-for-profit and commercial sectors.  He is dynamic and strengths-based in his approach.  Clients comment on his responsiveness to diversity and that his ability to challenge is both constructive and sensitive.

In addition, Sam has designed change and training programmes.  He has also contributed both to the development of his profession (e.g. founding Chair of Coaching Psychology Special Interest Group (CPSIG(NZ)) and to increasing inter-agency collaboration and networking, particularly between non-government organisations (NGOs)

Sam’s current activities include: individual leadership coaching and team facilitation; Action Learning Groups for NGO leaders; Action Learning Sets for offender group facilitators; and psychosocial support for Médecins Sans Frontières.

As well as presenting workshops and seminars in New Zealand and overseas, Sam Farmer has published: Supervision, (2011). Ed. Hall McMaster & Associates, Effective interventions with offenders: lessons learned.  How does a coach know that they have found the right supervisor? (2011). Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice.  Making sense of team coaching (Dec. 2015). The Coaching Psychologist.