“The overall feeling of belonging to a group which I have never felt before. The sense that you are valued here.” 

“I was surprised at how well I engaged with art therapy, how well it worked and how deep I was able to go and the difference it made in processing things.” 

“We’re there together for multiple hours a day, not just going to a therapist and having only an hour to talk. I think this allowed the professionals and others on the course to see more of our behaviours that may affect our everyday lives and provide guidance for what we needed to focus on.”

“While I had a very sympathetic GP, it is very hard to access the community mental health team. Even when I had suicidal ideation I wasn’t deemed to be ill enough. Depression is a very isolating experience and when it hits it is like falling off a cliff. You need help now. The programme needs wider funding to make it more accessible to more people. There was nothing out there for me before Whakamātūtū.”

“working towards working again. My mood is more consistently stable for the first time in a long while. I am finding a routine again.”