Relationships Aotearoa works to support New Zealand children, young people, couples and families. We do this by providing counselling and education services to all New Zealanders who need help with:
- Parenting
- Building respectful relationships – trust and intimacy, cultural and values differences
- Dealing with the effects of family violence and prevention of family violence
- Dealing with mental health issues
- Conflict resolution
- Coping with grief and loss
- Separation – how to deal with separation and support your children
We provide affordable services to around 25,000 people across New Zealand every year, and we do not turn people away if they cannot afford to pay.
Many people come to counselling at different times in their lives for many different reasons. The impact of that counselling can be truely life changing.
A story about a family
A man with three young children was referred to us following the sudden death of his wife. He was struggling with his own grief, and was unaware his sadness was stopping him talking to his children. He had given up full time work to be the carer at home, and had no idea how to manage this new role.
The counsellor provided a safe place for him to talk about his grief, anger and overwhelming sense of incompetence. He talked about the difficulty of “having to be a strong father”. His fear of crying in front of his children meant he wouldn’t let them talk about their mother.
Together the client and counsellor agreed on a series of individual sessions to help him. Another counsellor on our team facilitated meetings with the extended family where they talked about their own reactions and needs, and agreed on how they would support each other in practical ways. They said it was “really good to be able to talk together with someone else” and to know that “someone was helping their Dad”.
“I love witnessing the change and growth in my clients, both in their relationships and in their understanding of themselves. It’s what keeps me going.
Relationships Aotearoa Counsellor