Free mental health & wellbeing support for rangatahi.
Supporting rangatahi through life’s challenges.
Mental health is part of overall wellbeing. Our team provides free, youth-focused counselling and wellbeing support, creating a safe and confidential space where rangatahi can talk through challenges, build confidence, and develop tools to navigate life.
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Every young person deserves someone to listen, a safe place to talk, and support that helps them move forward.
Every young person deserves someone to listen, a safe place to talk, and support that helps them move forward.
Many rangatahi who come to Te Tahi Youth are carrying more than what others can see. Anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, family challenges, relationship pressures, school stress, and uncertainty about the future can all have a significant impact on wellbeing. For many young people, reaching out to us is the first time they have had the opportunity to talk openly about what they are experiencing.
Our counsellors provide free, youth-focused support that gives rangatahi space to be heard, understand what they are going through, and develop tools to navigate life’s challenges. Through a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach, we support young people to build confidence, strengthen relationships, and develop strategies that work for them.
What makes this support different is that it doesn’t happen in isolation. Our counsellors work alongside our wider team, including doctors, nurses, social workers, youth workers, and career and training support, creating a connected approach around each young person. Rather than navigating multiple services alone or having to repeat their story, rangatahi can access support from a team that already understands their journey.
No two journeys are the same. Some young people need support through a challenging season, while others require longer-term support across multiple areas of their lives. Whatever their pathway, our focus remains the same, creating trusted relationships where rangatahi feel supported, understood, and more confident about what comes next.
Impact numbers:
118
Rangatahi supported through counselling last year.
700+
Counselling appointments delivered annually.
6-8
Counselling sessions for each young person.
Outcomes:
From survival to choice.
When A first engaged with counselling at Te Tahi Youth, they had spent much of their life navigating instability, loss, and difficult relationships. Early experiences had taught them to rely only on themselves, making it difficult to trust others, seek support, or feel emotionally safe.
Like many rangatahi accessing our service, A had experienced significant adversity and trauma. While these experiences shaped how they viewed themselves and the world around them, they had also developed remarkable resilience and determination to keep moving forward.
Through counselling, A was provided with a safe and consistent space to explore the impact of their experiences, make sense of long-standing patterns, and develop a deeper understanding of themselves. Together, they worked through challenges relating to trust, identity, emotional wellbeing, healthy boundaries, and relationships.
Over time, A began to move beyond simply surviving. They developed greater self-awareness, increased confidence in setting boundaries, and a stronger understanding of what healthy relationships could look like. They became more able to approach their experiences with compassion rather than self-criticism and started making choices that aligned with their values and goals.
One of the most significant changes was their ability to imagine a future that felt hopeful and meaningful. Where life had once focused on getting through each day, they began talking about wellbeing, connection, creativity, work, and the future they wanted to create for themselves.
While their journey continues, counselling helped create an important shift: from living in response to past experiences to actively shaping the life they want to lead.
This story reflects the experience of many rangatahi who access Te Tahi Youth's counselling services. With the right support, a safe therapeutic relationship, and time to heal, young people can move from survival toward connection, confidence, and hope.