Programmes and courses – mental health

Just a Thought(external link) offers free cognitive behavioural therapy courses to all New Zealanders.

There are more than 15 free online therapy courses to support you with a range of wellbeing and mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, alcohol and drug issues, pregnancy and postnatal wellbeing, panic and obsessive compulsive disorder. There are also courses available in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).

The Small Steps website is a place where people of Aotearoa (and overseas) can take small steps on your journey to improve wellbeing. Small Steps are free online tools developed by Te Hiringa Hauora in partnership with Clearhead.

Whether you want to maintain wellness, find relief or get help for yourself, friends or whānau, Small Steps is with you and for you – he waka eke noa.

Start your Small Steps journey.(external link)

Farmstrong(external link) is a nationwide wellbeing programme for the Aotearoa New Zealand rural community to help you cope better with the ups and downs of farming.

When you answer a short set of wellbeing checklist questions(external link) you’ll be given suggestions and links to tips from other farmers, resources and videos on topics such as managing stress and burnout, taking time out, and exercise and nutrition, that are specific to the unique challenges of farming life.

The Center for Clinical Interventions is an Australian-based clinical psychology service that provides free online resources to help you overcome mental health issues.

Their self-help resources(external link) include workbooks with modules that provide information about your condition as well as management strategies and worksheets. There are workbooks for conditions such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, body dysmorphia, depression, and panic, and also topics such as procrastination and self-esteem.

Mental Health Online(external link) provides free 12-week online treatment programmes for you to complete in your own time. It's designed for Australian residents but is available for users from other countries. You need to be 18 years of age or over to register for the free programmes.

There are programmes to help if you have:

• generalised anxiety disorder
• depression
• social anxiety disorder
• obsessive compulsive disorder
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia.

With Every Mind Matters(external link) you can get your own 'Mind Plan' after answering a short quiz(external link) about how you’ve been feeling over the past 2 weeks. Your 'Mind Plan' is an action plan to help you deal with anxiety and stress, sleep better and feel more in control. 

This is a UK NHS initiative so specific support contact details provided don’t apply to Aotearoa New Zealand. If you need urgent help phone 111, or for non-urgent support call Healthline 0800 611 116 or free call or text 1737.

Open Minds(external link) is a programme that provides practical tips for managers so that they can have conversations about mental health in the workplace. It includes an e-learning programme(external link) developed by the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand that teaches skills for talking to and supporting employees through difficult times.

Sparklers(external link) is a classroom-based wellbeing toolkit for primary and intermediate students that can be supported by Sparklers at Home(external link). With Sparklers at Home you can support your tamariki to learn about feeling good, managing emotions, kindness and gratitude and embracing their identity, through fun activities.