Mental health support

Free mental health and addiction counselling / He āwhina utukore mō te hauora hinengaro

He raruraru?  Having a tough time? Counselling could help.

We have two counselling services available that offer free and confidential phone and on-line counselling services for currently enrolled learners.

We are partnering with Puāwaitanga and Vitae to offer these services, we encourage you to read the information below and select the service that best meets your needs.

Puāwaitanga

If you have mild to moderate symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, relationship issues, low self-esteem, addictions or other related issues that may be affecting your life, Puāwaitanga can help.  If one of your friends or whānau need urgent mental health support contact one of the free helplines listed at the bottom of this page.

How it works / Ko te ngako

  • You need to be enrolled to study with us in New Zealand, living in New Zealand,  and be over 18 years old.
  • You can choose your counsellor from their photograph and bio information.
  • You will be taken to the counsellor’s booking calendar to book your first session.
  • Your counsellor will work with you to identify your needs and make a plan.
  • To access this service you will need your student ID number to verify that you are an Open Polytechnic learner.

Kei a koe te tikanga – you can choose your own counsellor and make an appointment online or by phone:

Vitae

Learn more about Vitae

If you need assistance with personal or study stress, relationship problems, conflict situations, anxiety or depression, anger or violence, grief and loss, harassment, Personal trauma, addictions or other related issues that may be affecting your life, Vitae can help.  If one of your friends or whānau need urgent mental health support contact one of the free helplines listed at the bottom of this page.

How it works / Ko te ngako

  • You need to be enrolled to study with us in New Zealand, living in New Zealand,  and be over 18 years old.
  • You can choose your counsellor from their photograph and bio information.
  • Your counsellor will work with you to identify your needs and make a plan.
  • Referrals are available seven days a week, 24 hours a day
  • To access this service you will need your student ID number to verify that you are an Open Polytechnic learner.

Kei a koe te tikanga – you can choose your own counsellor and make an appointment online or by phone

Feedback / He whakaaro nōu?

If you use the counselling service we welcome any feedback on your experience.  This will help us ensure we’re meeting the needs of our learners. You can give this anonymously using the link below:

If you would like to speak to someone about your experience please email us: 

Need help Now?  Pīrangi āwhina?

If you or one of your whānau or friends need mental health support or information right now you can contact one of the free helpline services listed on this page. 

These services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you need urgent help dial 111. 

Other places you can go to for support information include:

  • Justathought.co.nz  Free online therapy courses
  • The Lowdownfor young people with concerns about their mental health who are looking for support, and for friends and whānau who want to support them.
  • Small Steps -  free digital self-help tools for anyone wanting to manage stress and increase their wellbeing.

You can also visit the Mental Health Foundation website for a more extensive list of the other helplines and support services available in New Zealand.