Puāwaitanga means to blossom, to flourish, to break through, and is a phone and web-based service to support Kiwis to improve their emotional wellbeing – their hauora. 

The service is an alternative to face-to-face counselling for Kiwis who are struggling but face challenges in accessing traditional counselling. 

• Work from home or from one of our call centres (Auckland / Christchurch)
• Be a part of a growing service with a dedication to supporting people to enhance their wellbeing
• Provide brief intervention counselling to a diverse range of people located across Aotearoa
• Deliver counselling sessions via phone call and video
• Full time position
• Professional development opportunities and pro rata contributions to external supervision and annual registration with professional body.
• Competitive hourly rate plus penal rates for overnight and weekend work 

How Puāwaitanga works

• Puāwaitanga has partnered with various organisations throughout Aotearoa (including PHO, tertiary education providers and MSD) to offer brief intervention counselling support through a virtual means
• Referrals are received through these partner organisations
• Clients are encouraged to choose from our team of clinicians who they would most like to work alongside
• Across the Puāwaitanga team, sessions are offered Monday – Sunday between 9am and 9pm
• Clients can speak to counsellors about any issues, some of which might be low mood, anxiety, grief, addictions, relationship issues and low self-esteem
• The client and counsellor will work together to identify main concerns and a pathway to increase wellbeing. This is typically completed over five sessions. 

Pehea koe | About you

• Completed qualifications in a relevant field and full registration with a professional body (e.g. DAPAANZ, NZAC, ANZASW or similar)
• 5+ years’ experience working therapeutically in a counselling environment
• A strong understanding of mental health and addiction concerns with particular understanding of mental health needs of Māori and Pacifica communities in Aotearoa
• Sound risk assessment skills
• Experience in delivering therapy using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and/or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is preferred
• Ability to commit to 40 hours a week (Monday to Friday) with at least one weekday evening shift (5pm-9pm)
• The ability to speak Te Reo, Tongan, Samoan, Cantonese or other languages would be highly advantageous (to a degree of fluency sufficient to hold sessions with clients)

Ko wai hoki | About us

Whakarongorau Aotearoa has the privilege of running free to the public, virtual health, mental health and social services for the people of Aotearoa.

Our 12 clinical teams and support services are based across contact centres in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and from their homes across Aotearoa.

We want to give everyone in Aotearoa the opportunity for wellness. We focus on the connected world of digital care, where we can help join all the dots, and select the right services, advice, support and help for the right need.

Through our 30+ services we connected with over 950,000 people last year (to 30 June 2021).

We use our healthy imagination to solve big problems by understanding the tiny ways that people are blocked from getting the care they deserve. Our imagination comes from our people and our partners and their drive to never give up.


Ō tātou uara | Our values

Our values underpin all we do, and how we do it. We are looking for people who align naturally with these values and will champion them:

• Mahia te mea tika | Do the right thing
• Hihiri e te kounga | Motivated by quality
• Ngākau nui ki te pai ake | Passion for better
• Pokohiwi ki Pokohiwi | Shoulder to shoulder

To tatou tikanga | Our culture

Our staff are passionate people, each driven to contribute to better health outcomes, with a focus on high priority populations. We are focused on hiring kaimahi who live and work in the communities they serve.

Whakarongorau Aotearoa’s commitment to understanding and improving mana taurite (equal status) starts with the understanding of self and how we, as health professionals, think and behave each minute of each day to serve the health needs for Aotearoa.

To ensure we are as connected and as engaged as we can be with the people we help, nearly 20% of our workforce identify as Māori and 22% as Pasifika.