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Well, we are now two weeks into Aotearoa’s Level 4 response to the pandemic……Early signs are good that staying in our bubbles is paying off Kiwis.

Kia kaha, he waka eke noa.

Stay strong, we’re all in this together.

The team at Psychology Associates which includes 10 clinical psychologists (Fiona, Tara, Nicola, Sallie, Sasha, Tracey, Amanda, Shannon, Ellen and Tammy) and two amazing administrators (Sue and Michelle) are all continuing to provide psychological support to clients but from the safety of our own bubbles. We are using an online platform which provides a confidential, secure, free online space for us to continue working with clients.

Our team ‘met’ online on Monday for our usual monthly group supervision with two goals in mind. Firstly, to support each other. There were some new challenges for us all working from home (juggling multiple roles, finding peace and calm while dealing with the unknown, learning fast about providing tele-psychology) and we shared common feelings such as isolation, stress, grief/loss, worries, optimism and hope. Our second goal was to share online resources that we thought would support our clients and the wider community. We hope the list below is helpful and look forward to continuing to provide high quality psychological support from our bubbles to yours.

With Fondness, The Team at Psychology Associates

For a tonne of wonderful resources for NZers, look at the Mental Health Foundation website https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/, and their awesome resource libraryhttps://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/resources/.

The MH Foundation has also set up a new website called Getting Through Together – Are you Alright? which is “totes amazeballs” for feeling connected with others https://www.allright.org.nz/campaigns/getting-through-together

There are some great general tips for getting through COVID-19 https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/covid-19/top-tips-to-get-through

And some specific tools for managing anxiety https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/assets/COVID-19/COVID-19-and-Stress.pdf

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-future-brain/202003/how-covid-19-may-impact-mental-health

https://www.psychology.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/APS_COVID19_Public-tip-sheet_Coping-with-coronavirus-anxiety.pdf

https://www.virusanxiety.com/

Anxiety management tools (in multiple languages) https://www.psychologytools.com/articles/free-guide-to-living-with-worry-and-anxiety-amidst-global-uncertainty/?

NZ Experts Janet Peter and David Codyre talk about combatting fear and anxiety https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12318077

A talk on resilience by Christchurch author and researcher Lucy Hone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWH8N-BvhAw

And the NZ Institute of Wellbeing and Resilience has some great current information on strengthening communities https://nziwr.co.nz/

Some resources with a Māori kaupapa https://nzfvc.org.nz/Covid-19

https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/whakamahia/covid-19-information-for-maori

For families struggling with violence or anger issues https://www.hewakatapu.org.nz/services/0800-hey-bro/about-hey-bro

https://www.wisegroup.co.nz/creating-change/covid-19-trouble-in-your-bubble-catchyourself/

Children: For those with wee kiddies – a great wee song to help with little young children’s fears https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-28/coronavirus-anxieties-eased-with-therapists-song-online/12085842

Tips for kiddies 0-3 https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/3210-tips-for-families-coronavirus

Adolescents: https://nziwr.co.nz/real-time-resilience-supporting-young-people/

Remember it is free to call or text 1737 at any time to speak with a trained counsellor – it’s free and confidential.

Last year, over 5000 people or organisations made submissions to the Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry – maybe you were one of them. The panel made a 5 minute animation to summarise the findings of He Oranga which you can watch by clicking on the following linkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=306&v=uBvx526ZTnc

To read the full report in a range of formats go to:

www.mentalhealth.inquiry.govt.nz or follow this linkhttps://mentalhealth.inquiry.govt.nz/

Key findings:

We can do more to help each other

We have a solid foundation to build on

We’re not getting the outcomes we want

Quality of services and facilities is variable

Key components of the system are missing

It’s time to build a new mental health and addictions system on the existing foundations to provide a continuum of care and support.

Did you know about 70% of people will experience the impostor phenomenon (fear of failure, fear of success, a sometimes obsessive perfectionist drive, and an inability to accept praise and achievement, combined with a genuine belief that you, the ‘impostor’, will be found out for being a fake).  To put it simply, it is the experience of feeling like a phony or a fraud.  It is particularly prevalent among high achieving women.

Common thoughts and feelings include:

• I must not fail
• I feel like a fake
• My success was pure luck
• I don’t deserve to be in this job

Common behaviours include: read more »

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has discussed his battle with depression. Mariah Carey recently revealed she has bipolar disorder. Prince Harry said he needed counseling to deal with years of grief and anger following the death of his mother, Princess Diana. And “Deadpool” star Ryan Reynolds has acknowledged dealing with an anxiety disorder.

As the stigma surrounding mental illness has declined in recent years, so has the reluctance many have had to discuss their own mental health issues, including celebrities. It’s become the new norm for stars to divulge vulnerabilities once kept closely guarded. read more »