Generation Next

James Driver is a psychotherapist, writer and presenter as well as the founder of NetAddiction NZ - a website providing free information and advice about video gaming addiction. His approach to therapy is based on helping people clearly see the links between feeling, thought and action and recognising the automatic ways that we can respond to our feelings that get in the way of creating the lives we want. In addition to working in private practice, James provides presentations and training to groups around Australia and New Zealand, including coaching businesses around effectively managing interpersonal challenges and emotional conflicts at work. James has a particular interest in behavioural and technology-based addictions, and has presented and provided training on internet and gaming addictions both within New Zealand and internationally. His interest in the topic stems from a period of pretty intense gaming addiction as a teenager. At the worst of it, he was spending up to 16 hours per day playing online games and as a consequence failed out of University and created a lot of problems for himself and his family. Fortunately he was eventually able to manage and moderate his gaming and get his life back on track. He completed his Master’s research into gaming addiction and has extensive experience treating gaming addiction in private practice and within NGOs. James has over ten years experience as a trainer/facilitator. He originally provided training on strategy development to senior executives in the United Kingdom before retraining as a psychotherapist. This unique skill set combined with his own lived experience of gaming addiction ensures his training interactive, stimulating and insightful.