Mothers Helpers

Supporting Mums Under Stress

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Maternal Mental Health Counselling

Mothers Helpers offers personalized maternal mental health counselling sessions for those who have experienced birth trauma, prefer it over group therapy in the PNDA Recovery Course “Out of the Fog” or for those who require additional counselling after completing the programme. Our team of expert counselors includes:

Gena Orpwood

Photo of Gena OrpwoodGena is a registered social worker based in Christchurch with a passion for exploring nature and our beautiful country. With her academic background that includes a Masters in Social Work and Postgraduate Diplomas in Rehabilitation, Gena is equipped to help individuals dealing with perinatal challenges such as postnatal depression (PND) or postpartum depression symptoms.  She has a Postgraduate Certificate in Mental Health, an undergraduate degree in Psychology and professional development training in ACT Therapy, ACT for trauma, CBT training, motivational interviewing and solution focused training.

“I will often tell people my greatest strength is being relatable and building a connection with my clients, I really feel like this is one of the most important things in talk therapy is to be able to connect with the person, this allows for greater progress.”
Cost per session:  $65 + GST (FREE for those who qualify for WINZ)
FOUR FREE SESSIONS for those who have experienced birth trauma or have been referred by Think Hauora (Manawatu)
Gena is available for face-to-face sessions in Christchurch or online.  BOOK HERE

Kristina Grace (formerly Paterson)

Kristina, a registered social worker with a Masters in Applied Social Work, has over 10 years of experience specializing in maternal mental health. With her background in nursing and social work, she provides supervision to all Mothers Helpers’ social work staff and group facilitators. Kristina is an expert in providing counselling and therapy for postnatal depression (also known as postpartum depression) symptoms. Having lived through perinatal depression/anxiety herself, she brings valuable personal experience to her work. She is the author of the programme “Out of the Fog” which is used in both individual and group therapy by Mothers Helpers. Kristina is available for private online counselling sessions to help new mothers overcome the challenges of perinatal mental health issues. More information about Kristina is available here

For private counselling with Kristina contact her directly:  getoutofthefog.org@gmail.com

Cost per session:  $120 + GST

Kristina also provides our FOUR FREE SESSIONS to clients referred by Think Hauora (Manawatu) and to any clients nationwide experiencing birth trauma.  

Kristina is available for online sessions only. BOOK HERE

Leah Nausbaum
Leah is a registered Social Worker with more than ten years of experience in the Social Services sector. She has worked for Mother’s Helpers for the last 3 years and provides counselling and therapy to empower new mums to navigate the beautiful, significant yet vulnerable time of motherhood.  Her  deep commitment and dedication are towards supporting mothers who are going through anxiety and distress during their postpartum period.  With my expertise, I can help identify and manage perinatal or postnatal depression symptoms to ensure new mothers receive the support they need.
“As a mother of three children myself, I deeply understand the challenges that come with adjusting to the postnatal period.”
Leah is available for face-to-face counselling sessions in Central Auckland or online.  BOOK HERE
Cost per session:  $65 + GST (FREE for those who qualify for WINZ)

Please note:

If you have experienced sexual abuse or sexual assault, you may be eligible for ACC to completely fund your counselling sessions.  Mothers Helpers does not currently have any ACC Registered counsellors but three of our counsellors are currently applying for registration.  In the meantime, we encourage you to find an ACC Registered Counsellor.