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Our Services
Ki te kotahi te kākaho ka whati, ki te kāpuia, e kore e whati.
When a reed stands alone it can easily break, but when bound together it is unbreakable.
What services do we offer?
Community Support
We support individuals and whānau (families) with:
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Identifying goals and supporting them with the steps to achieve them
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Pursuing a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity and healthy eating
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Relationship building with friends and family
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Connection with the community
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Connecting them with community groups and programmes to enhance their wellbeing
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Accessing other services according to their needs
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Finding training, study, and job opportunities including support with applications
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Access to social, legal, and community services
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Advocacy with social, legal, and community services
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Counselling and therapy
Counselling & Therapy
We offer one-on-one counselling with a bilingual Muslim counsellor who speaks English and Farsi. Based on individual needs and circumstances, we can also refer clients for private therapy sessions with registered counsellors, psychologists, and family therapists. These sessions are currently funded by our service.
Mental Health Physiotherapy
We can also refer clients to mental health physiotherapists, who provide interventions that are focused on both physical and mental health. Based on individual circumstances, these sessions can also be funded by our service.
Health Coach
We can also refer clients to a Health Coach who is of Islamic faith. A Health Coach can provide self-management support to assist individuals to enhance their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. They support them to achieve their health goals and can help them access community and online resources.
Spiritual Support
We can connect individuals to Imams – either locally or externally based – to receive spiritual support. Our community support workers can support you along this journey.
Social Events
We aim to organise events for all age groups, focused on connecting the community together. To find out more, head over to our Events page.
Kia Ngātahi Driving Programme
Kia Ngātahi Driving Programme supports individuals to obtain their Restricted or Full Licence through practical driving lessons.
We understand that many community members are from other countries that have differing road codes and infrastructure to Aotearoa New Zealand.
As other services can provide support with preparing for the theory test and helping former refugees to gain driving confidence, our programme has been designed:
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For those who already have their Learners or Restricted Licence
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For those experiencing financial difficulties
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To empower young drivers who have solo parents
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To give drivers the confidence to sit their practical tests
How can you access our services?
If you would like to access our service, please complete our Referral Form and we will contact you. You can refer yourself or someone else on their behalf.
If you have any questions about Muslim Wellbeing Ōtautahi or would like to inquire if we can help you with anything not listed above, please do not hesitate to Contact Us.
What is our approach?
Holistic Whānau Centered Approach
Understanding an Islamic view of health covers all aspects of the mind, body, and soul, we support individuals with their journey in a holistic manner.
We know that our health and wellbeing are influenced by many interweaving factors - physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, financial, social, whānau (family), friends, and community. We understand that when our spiritual wellbeing is not nurtured alongside other aspects of our health, it can cause an imbalance and affect our overall functioning. Often our spirituality can act as a protective factor, helping us cope with the challenges of life.
One of the models that we integrate into the work we do is the Te Whare Tapa Whā model of Māori health, which is complementary to an Islamic view of health.
Te Whare Tapa Whā describes health and wellbeing as a whare (house) with four walls, understanding that all aspects of our whare have to be in balance for us to thrive. These walls are our Taha Tinana (physical wellbeing), Taha Hinengaro (mental and emotional wellbeing), Taha Wairua (spiritual wellbeing), and Taha Whānau (family wellbeing), and that our connection to whenua (land) is the foundation of our wellbeing.
We also use a whānau (family) centered approach which focuses healing and support on the whānau as a whole. That means we address individual needs in the context of what is happening for the whānau.
Life Stage Approach
We also promote a life stage approach in our community programmes and events. That is, we recognise there are unique challenges at different stages in life that have significant relevance to our wellbeing.
Through this targeted approach, we aim to minimise risk factors present at different stages of life and enhance protective factors through community connection and support.
We understand these life stages from a spiritual and collectivist cultural lens, whilst also recognising the influence of individual upbringings, family, culture, gender, and social circumstances. We aim to honour this as best we can, whilst leaning on our shared spiritual connection.
