If you are in need of urgent help, please go to our Emergency/Crisis Help Page
Is ‘Mothers Helpers’ a registered charity?
Yes, Mothers Helpers is registered as a charitable trust with the Companies office. We are also registered with the Charities Commission and our number is: CC48369
Is ‘Mothers Helpers’ a member of any other Governing Body?
Mothers Helpers is a member of the Perinatal Anxiety Depression Aotearoa (PADA) and the Platform Network. We have our own Board of Trustees and members that are Friends of Mothers Helpers who are consulted in our major decisions.
Why Antenatal and Postnatal Depression?
Currently, awareness of antenatal and postnatal depression and anxiety (ANDA/PNDA) is minimal. There is under-diagnosing, inadequate treatment and often mothers and agencies who might identify ANDA or PNDA in a mother do not know where they can go for help. The consequences of AND and PND and anxiety are far-reaching and include not just the mother but her child, her partner and her family. For more information about NZ’s current situation regarding PNDA click here
Why we do what we do.
Founder of Mothers Helpers Kristina Grace (formerly Paterson) experienced Antenatal Depression and Postnatal Depression but neither of these were picked up by any health professional for 18 months. At that time, Kristina went to the doctor and was diagnosed but by then, the result of her experience of delayed diagnosis and untreated depression and anxiety had a profound affect on her and her family. At the time she was diagnosed, there was really no help available because her depression was mild-moderate and she did not fit the criteria of Maternal Mental Health, so the only real help available was medication and counselling that was costly. That experience led Kristina to develop an holistic recovery programme where 76% of mothers attending are recovering from ANDA or PNDA, and all mothers that attend are having an average of 52% improvement in depression scores. While we do not currently have any formal Government funding, Mothers Helpers receives support by Government initiatives such as COGS and individual contracts with Primary Health Organisations. We also deliver the programme through trained, qualified counsellors and social workers one-on-one at a reduced fee. Those with a Community Services Card should be able to claim WINZ funding to cover costs.
Mothers Helpers started out as a Christian-based charity since the founder of Mothers Helpers Kristina Grace has a progressive Christian faith. There is no Christian content in the course and no pushing of ideas or philosophies at any stage. Staff and volunteers at Mothers Helpers may or may not have a Christian faith or any other spiritual belief. However, it is the Founder’s wish that anyone who comes to Mothers Helpers for support understands that her motivation for providing this support came from the compassion and love that she believes God feels for you: “The Bible says that He is ‘close to the brokenhearted'” she says. Kristina and Mothers Helpers are supportive of all faiths and those who do not subscribe to any faith. Like many in the clinical team, Kristina is a registered social worker (registration number 8952), and as all social workers are mandated to work hard in upholding equality and ensuring equity in Aotearoa. This includes improving access for vulnerable groups such as Maori, Pasifika, Asian cultures, new migrants and LGBTQIA+. We seek out opportunities for better representation from these groups on our Board of Trustees and clinical team, we seek professional development in these areas, and we use culturally relevant wellbeing tools and models to better support tangata whaiora.
Are you at-risk of Post-Natal Depression?
Any of the following can put you at higher risk of having Post-Natal Depression (PND). With our help, we might be able to provide sufficient support so that you do not experience PND:
- Pregnant or at least one child under 4 years old
- Previous history of depression or post-natal depression
- Unplanned pregnancy
- Single mum
- Young mum (<22yo)
- Little or no family support
- Marriage/relationship difficulties
- Financial difficulties
- Traumatic Birth
- Breastfeeding problems
- Other stressful events eg. death of a parent
What we do.
If you are at risk of PND (refer to our list above) or a mother with ante-natal or postnatal depression/anxiety, one of our facilitators will contact you to discuss where you are at, what you need and how we can help.
Our Support
Our social worker will contact you to talk about the things that you are concerned about, assess your depression/anxiety and identify areas where you might need extra support. She will refer you to a range of agencies with your consent and offer you the option of joining our Preparing for Parenthood course, our Perinatal Depression Recovery Course or to have individual counselling with one of our team. All our initial assessments are free and we endeavour to keep our other services as low-cost and in some cases, free of charge.
Our Philosophy
Mothers Helpers supports evidenced-based prevention, treatment and recovery options for mothers. We recognize that research in New Zealand of mothers with postnatal depression is limited and that there are some types of treatment that are difficult to measure. Mothers Helpers supports continued research and seeks opportunities to measure recovery options including their own service to ensure mothers have the opportunity to recover quickly and more fully and preventing various consequences of perinatal depression in terms of its longevity and severity.
Mothers Helpers does not have a bias toward any one treatment option but presents factual information to mothers so that they can make the best choice for them and their family.
Mothers Helpers vision is to prevent the occurrence, the longevity and the severity of postnatal depression and the significant effects these have on a mother and her family.
Mothers Helpers believes in a holistic approach to health incorporating the physical, psychological, social, mental, cultural and spiritual aspects of a person. Our values are aroha, family/whanau, knowledge, community and resources. We believe that when someone is supported in their experience of these, they flourish.
Mothers Helpers embraces and is committed to supporting any spiritual or religious faith/belief or culture. We are particularly committed to Maori, Pasifika, Asian, new migrant, differently abled, LGBTQIA+ and non-binary communities. We know that these communities are at greater risk of mental health issues, and we endeavour to be inclusive and support their values or what is most important to them. Our commitment is reflected in our seeking representation on our Board of Trustees and clinical staff, professional development of clinicians and our adoption of relevant models and tools.
