Online counselling available

Did you know we have online options for your wellbeing and mental health needs? 

Alongside our fantastic face-to-face counselling appointments, we also offer online counselling support through our partners - Puāwaitanga and Vitae. 

Puāwaitanga Counselling

The Polytechnic has partnered with Puāwaitanga to provide support around stress, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, relationship issues, low self-esteem, addictions or other related issues that may be affecting your life.

Puāwaitanga offers:

• FREE sessions available 7 days a week from 9.00am-9.00pm
• the chance for you to choose which counsellor you’d like to do sessions with
• phone and/or video counselling to help strengthen your hauora (wellbeing)
• a booster session to check in with you three months after you’ve finished sessions to see how things have been going. 

Puāwaitanga will let the Polytechnic know that you have reached out to them and will provide a summary of care to the in-house Polytechnic counselling team. 

To enrol with Puāwaitanga:  

• Click here (you will be asked for your student ID number to confirm you are an enrolled student)
• Phone 0800 782 999 

Vitae Counselling Services Tari Whakapakari Ngākau 

Vitae is a service provided to all Te Pūkenga I Otago Polytechnic students. It offers support around personal or workplace stress issues, relationship problems, conflict situations, anxiety, depression, anger/violence issues, grief and loss, harassment, personal trauma and addictions. 

Vitae offers:

• FREE sessions available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
• face-to-face, phone or video sessions
• wheelchair friendly premises available on request. 

Vitae will let the Polytechnic know that you have reached out to them and will provide a summary of care to the in-house Polytechnic counselling team. 

To enrol with Vitae:

• Complete the online referral form
• Phone 0508 664 981
• Email assistance@vitae.co.nz 

Or you can download the Vitae App for free by searching Vitae NZ in in App Store.   

Need to talk? – free call or text 1737 anytime 

Are you feeling stressed or just need someone to talk to? Are you feeling down or a bit overwhelmed? Do you know someone who is feeling out-of-sorts or down? 

Whatever it is, the crew at 1737 are here for you. Free call or free text 1737 anytime, 24 hours a day. 

You’ll get to talk (or text with) a trained counsellor or talk to a peer support worker. 1737 is a completely free service. 

For more info, visit the 1737 website. 

Ma te huruhuru te manu ka rere. It takes many feathers to make a bird fly.