Sometimes children and young people need someone outside their family and peer group to talk to, and that’s why our What’s Up service exists.
Our counsellors are trained and paid professionals, with a background in counselling, psychology or psychotherapy.
Our approach is unique – we believe that children and young people are experts in their own lives:
When they reach out, we listen to them and normalise their feelings.
We then move through their challenges to find out what works best for them.
We focus on helping build resilience, empowering them to solve their own problems and providing tools and strategies to overcome these challenges.
Tamariki and rangatahi can receive ongoing and regular counselling with the same counsellors, which means they don’t need to repeat their story over and over again.
Our counsellors are trained and paid professionals, with a background in counselling, psychology or psychotherapy.
Read more about the mahi our counsellors do to support tamariki and rangatahi in Aotearoa.
Every call or chat is a chance to listen, connect and help a young person find their own way forward.
I love my role as counsellor at What's Up and being able to support the youth of Aotearoa. This role is really rewarding as I get to help youth navigate through their issues and life experiences. I have always felt that being able to make a difference in a young person's life early on sets them up with coping strategies they can utilise throughout their lives.
Being a counsellor for our tamariki is a fulfilling role. It is a privilege to be able to work with young minds and support them through their emotional challenges. As a counsellor, my priority is to form a sense of trust and a safe and nurturing space where the client feels comfortable sharing their experiences. I would say the best part of my role is seeing young people realise their potential and strength when they solve an issue they are encountering in their lives. It’s such a fulfilling feeling.
We’re there to listen to their issues. A lot of young people want advice, but our model is around empowering them to make their own choices – how we can help them find out what their resources are and how we can help them figure out how to access those resources. Then, hopefully, leave them feeling empowered to put all of that into action.