Conversation starters to check in with a new mother. Download our Maternal Mental Health Awareness guide here Research suggests that 15-20% of mothers will experience mental health difficulties post-partum in New Zealand. Our maternal suicide rate is five times higher than the United Kingdom and is a leading cause of maternal death in New Zealand. It is believed that every year thousands of women in New Zealand experience antenatal and/or postpartum mental health difficulties and don’t know that they have. Unfortunately, an area of health care in New Zealand that is particularly under-resourc ..read more

In support of Radio Hauraki's ‘No Talk Day’ on Thursday 10th September, Dr Kirsten Wooff, Registered Clinical Psychologist at Resilience Psychology is offering free and confidential 20-30 minute consultations for males of any age who have something they need to talk about. We know the stats for male suicide and mental health difficulties in New Zealand are too high. We want to provide a non-judgmental space for those who don’t know who to talk to or what to say. It’s time to feel like yourself again. Ahakoa te momo mate, whakanuia tangata. This whakataukī or proverb is an expression of hope: r ..read more

, Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Sometimes you just want to shut yourself away in a dark room or get on the soonest flight out. And that’s okay. But for many parents, these thoughts are quickly followed by guilt, known as “mum guilt” (but dads get it too – ask them!). Sure, some guilt can be informative and constructive – the guilt that motivates us to change our behaviours for the better. For instance, we might feel guilty about swearing in front of the kids, so we resolve to keep the sailor-chat for adult-only situations. But guilt can quickly become excessive and un ..read more

Office Safety Precautions in Effect During Level Two Our office is taking the following precautions to protect our patients and help slow the spread of the coronavirus. · Office seating in the waiting room and in therapy rooms have been arranged for appropriate physical distancing. · My staff will maintain safe distancing. · Consent forms will inform clients of the risks of face-to-face appointments at this current time. · Restroom soap dispensers are maintained and everyone is encouraged to wash their hands. · Hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is available in the therapy room ..read more

Annie's Animals is a story to help children manage the range of emotions we are all experiencing during the lockdown. It is meant as a conversation starter between parents and children, as an activity guide, and as a resource to support children to use techniques that help when they are feeling difficult emotions. ,Click here to read Annie's Animals Emotions Chart Use this to help your child recognise how they feel. This is one of the first steps in being able to manage our emotions. Random Acts of Kindness Random acts of kindness can increase our mood. Here is a list of ideas that your chil ..read more

The coronavirus crisis has been widely spread across the media with information about sickness, quarantines, death-tolls, panic buying, and share-markets tumbling. All of this breeds anxiety across communities as people start to grapple with the uncertainty of the illness and its potentially wide-reaching effects such as job losses. Anxiety increases when we feel that the likelihood of an event happening and the perceived awfulness if it did, is more significant than our ability to cope or be helped if it happened. At Resilience we work with many clients in managing anxiety. Here are some bas ..read more

2020 is here and the workplace is back in full swing but getting through the weekly grind can can build stress and anxiety over time. When we have downtime, over the weekends, evenings or on holiday, it's important to use this time to unwind and reset as best we can. Here are five simple relaxation tips to help get you through: 1. Check your breathing. Are you breathing into your chest or your stomach. Chest breathing is related to stress, so make sure your breaths are deep into your stomach to ensure your relaxation system kicks into gear. 2. Park your thoughts. If you notice that you have th ..read more

Parents often ask me “Is my teenager just being moody, or is there something more serious happening?” Teenagers I work with also doubt their ability to differentiate between feeling really low and “being dramatic”. Stereotypically, teenagers are well-known for their moodiness and tendency to keep their feelings private. So how low is too low for a teenager’s mood? Here are some signs for young people and their parents to look out for: 1. Intensity and duration: The longer and more intense a low or irritable mood lasts for and the less responsive a young person’s mood is to positive events, th ..read more

Conversation starters to check in with a new mother. Download our Maternal Mental Health Awareness guide here Research suggests that 15-20% of mothers will experience mental health difficulties post-partum in New Zealand. Our maternal suicide rate is five times higher than the United Kingdom and is a leading cause of maternal death in New Zealand. It is believed that every year thousands of women in New Zealand experience antenatal and/or postpartum mental health difficulties and don’t know that they have. Unfortunately, an area of health care in New Zealand that is particularly under-resourc ..read more

In support of Radio Hauraki's ‘No Talk Day’ on Thursday 10th September, Dr Kirsten Wooff, Registered Clinical Psychologist at Resilience Psychology is offering free and confidential 20-30 minute consultations for males of any age who have something they need to talk about. We know the stats for male suicide and mental health difficulties in New Zealand are too high. We want to provide a non-judgmental space for those who don’t know who to talk to or what to say. It’s time to feel like yourself again. Ahakoa te momo mate, whakanuia tangata. This whakataukī or proverb is an expression of hope: r ..read more