Perinatal Support Nelson

09/03/2026

Our current Manager is moving on from her role, and we are now seeking someone who can continue this important mahi and lead our team with care and integrity.

We are looking for a Part time Clinical Leader to help guide our perinatal support services across Nelson Tasman.
For more than 30 years, we’ve walked alongside parents experiencing antenatal and postnatal distress — offering in home support, counselling, and therapeutic groups that honour each whānau’s unique journey.

If you are a qualified counsellor, social worker, or health professional with a heart for this mahi, we’d love to hear from you.
We welcome flexible hours and job share arrangements.

Apply if you bring:
• Experience in perinatal or mental health
• Strong admin and communication skills
• Confidence working independently
• Bicultural awareness and commitment to safe practice
• Comfort with basic tech and social media

Help us continue this vital work for whānau in our region.

For more information check out our listing on Trade Me or Seek, or email us at admin@perinatalsupportnelson.org.nz

15/12/2025

Kia ora koutou Nelson Tasman community,
We are excited to share some new ways to connect with us.

For the first time, you can make referrals online using our new referral form.
📱 Message us on WhatsApp (QR code) 028 415 4966
🤝 Make a referral (QR code) https://forms.office.com/r/00PYtdV91n (Click Submit at the end)
🌐 Visit our website (QR code) https://pndnelson.org.nz/
📧 Email or call us directly (contact details below)
hello@perinatalsupportnelson.org.nz | (03) 548 3555 | 028 415 4966

Scan the QR codes below to get started simple, secure, and accessible.

Ngā mihi Rachael

15/12/2025

Kia ora koutou Nelson Tasman community,
Sharing our holiday hours, we will be back in January 2026.

14/12/2025

Kia Ora Koutou Nelson/Tasman Community.

It has been a full and meaningful year for Perinatal Support and our Kaimahi. With a team of 14, 6 contract counsellors and 8 volunteers, we have stood alongside whānau during a 'time of big changes'.

Thank you to all of our community partners and stakeholders for your support, connections and collaboration. It has been a wonderful year of strengthening our community connections and partnership, so we can all work together to provide support for Whānau in the perinatal period.

There are few people we would like to Thank.
Nelson Bays Primary Health for your commitment to Perinatal support Nelson in providing necessary Funding for our organisation.
Tasman District Council - Te Kaunihera o te tai o Aorere
Nelson City Council
Lotteries
Rātā Foundation
The Lion Foundation
Emma Darch
Saxton Field
Top of the South Community Foundation

Your contributions are appreciated, and this allows more Whānau to be supported.

Thank you to PADA - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Aotearoa for the amazing resources you provide, that we can pass on to whānau. Birth Trauma Aotearoa for your support and advocacy.

Thank you to all of our contract and volunteer counsellors for your amazing Mahi in the Nelson/Tasman community this year, thank you for your time, commitment and dedication.
Contract Counsellors
Jane Brash
Jo Chapple
Emma Wareing
Janey Clark
Christele Gardys.
A special thank you to Jo Hender for her contribution to our community, as she recently resigned from her contract position to focus on other areas of her career.

Volunteer Counsellors
Kim
Janey Clark
Jo Roche
Roz Urquhart
Vikki Pickering
Meseret Hassan
Susan Walker-Tahana
Jennifer Messaoudi
Congratulations to Roz, Vikki, Jo Roche and Meseret in completing your counselling degree.

Thank you to Dawn who is our funding, business, and admin manager, you do an amazing job for Perinatal in applying for and securing funding, grants, donations for our organisation.

Thank you to the Board for standing alongside me in this role, offering both direction and trust. With that support, I am able to represent our organisation and walk alongside our Kaimahi as they care for our community.

Ngā mihi nui
Rachael

Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua
Those who lead give sight to those who follow, those who follow give life to those who lead.

10/12/2025

Kia Ora Koutou

We are deeply grateful to our volunteers and contractors for their dedication, commitment and compassion throughout 2025.

This year we received 172 referrals, the highest volume in six years. By November we had reached capacity and stopped accepting new referrals for this year. Our team have worked so hard and are continuing to work still to support our community. This highlights both the need and the importance of this mahi in our region.

Thank you to all of our community partners, funders and supporters.

Ngā mihi, Rachael

25/11/2025

Eight weeks of sitting together, showing up with courage, and finding healing in places we didn't expect, has been a great end to our groups this year.

Thank you to Seth and Saxton Field for all your amazing help, support organising rooms and finding space for us. It has been a neat working relationship and I look forward to a continued relationship 2026.

Next year, 2026, we take this mahi to Tapawera, a new village, a new chapter and I am excited.

Ngā mihi Rachael

09/11/2025

Ngā mihi nui to Emma Darch, a wonderful Midwife (obstetrics) at Health NZ – Nelson Marlborough, and community champion.

We are deeply grateful to Emma for hosting a quiz night in support of Perinatal Support Nelson, raising over $1000 to uplift maternal mental health in our region.

Your generosity and effort not only raised vital funds, but also helped shine a light on the importance of perinatal wellbeing. Thanks to you, more whānau in our community will receive the support they deserve. 🫶🫄🫶🤱

05/11/2025

It’s with heartfelt sadness that I share this update.

Our service is currently at full capacity due to an unprecedented volume of referrals and limited availability within our volunteer team. As a result, we are unable to accept any new referrals until January 6th, 2026.
Our office will still be open Monday and Wednesday 8.00am – 5.00pm.
We know this may bring disappointment, and we want to acknowledge the impact this will have on those seeking support. Like many in our sector, we are navigating a time of high demand and stretched capacity, and we are truly sorry for the disruption this may cause.
Referrals received during this period will not be processed and will be returned. In the meantime, we’ve attached a list of health services that may be able to offer support while we pause.
Thank you for your ongoing support, your compassion, and the vital mahi you do. If you have any questions or need further clarity, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Email: hello@perinatalsupportnelson.org.nz | Mobile: 028 415 4966

Please know this is a temporary measure.

Ngā Mihi, Rachael

If you are in crisis, or have safety concerns or need to talk with someone, you can call:
The 1737 Service
To talk to (or text with) a trained counsellor any time, 24 hours a day. Phone or text 1737.
Depression Helpline
The Depression Helpline from Depression.org.nz offers depression-specific help from trained counsellors. Phone 0800 111 757 or free text 4202
Community Assessment Team
The Community Assessment Team: a 24-hour acute mental health service assessment Contact details Phone: 0800 776 364 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
Su***de Crisis Helpline: 0508 TAUTOKO (0508 828 865)

14/10/2025

Looking for fun groups and activities for your child under 5?

Here’s a weekly guide of activities for babies and preschoolers across Nelson Tasman (term-time only). Check the links in the comments for schedule changes or if bookings are required.
This list is a great way to find community, make friends, and give your tamariki new experiences.

Credit: Little Green Steps

Send a message to learn more

24/09/2025

Daylight Saving Starts This Sunday: What It Might Mean for Whānau

On Sunday 28 September, clocks will spring forward one hour as daylight saving begins across Aotearoa. While longer evenings can be lovely, the time shift can be a bit disruptive, especially for babies, toddlers, and tired parents.

Here’s what to keep in mind:
⏰Sleep routines may wobble
Young tamariki often rely on consistent rhythms. Losing an hour can throw off naps, bedtime, and wake-ups, sometimes leading to overtiredness or crankiness.
⏰Feeding and settling might shift
If your pēpi is used to feeding or sleeping at certain times, you might notice changes in hunger cues or settling patterns.

⏰Gentle transitions help
Try adjusting bedtime by 10–15 minutes earlier each night in the lead-up to Sunday. This can soften the shift and help tamariki ease into the new rhythm.
⏰Stick to calming routines
Baths, stories, karakia, cuddles, whatever helps your child wind down, keep those rituals steady. Familiar steps can anchor them even when the clock changes.
⏰Darken the room at bedtime
With lighter evenings, blackout curtains or a dark sheet over the window can help signal “sleep time” to little bodies.
Try not to stress if it takes a few days

⏰It can be normal for sleep and mood to be a bit off for a few days. Go gently, offer extra comfort, and know that things will settle again.
Be kind to yourself

⏰This shift affects adults too. If you’re feeling off, tired, or stretched, you are not alone. Rest when you can, and reach out if you need support.

21/09/2025

Good Grief I’m a Mum – The Legacy of Motherhood is a free, confidential therapeutic group for mums with children under two.

Explore the emotional layers of motherhood in a safe, supportive space, connect with others, reflect on your journey, and be gently held in your healing. Whether you're a first-time mum or navigating life with multiple tamariki, this group offers eight weeks of guided support with Rachael, a qualified counsellor.
This is our final group for 2025.
To join, contact Perinatal Support Nelson or Rachael directly.
Come as you are. There’s a place for you here.

10/09/2025

Last week I completed one of our first, 8 week 'Good Grief I'm a Mum - Legacy of Motherhood' therapeutic group.
Thank you to Seth and the Team at Saxton Field for making space for us at the Oval Pavilion to hold our groups, this is such a great facility. Thank you to Nelson Bays Primary Health for providing funding for us to run these groups in our community, free of charge.

The new programme offers not only support for perinatal distress, but also space for meaningful exploration of the legacy of motherhood. Through the 8 weeks, invites Mums to reflect on their attachment with their own mother figure, and to gently uncover the mother wound carried across generations. This part of the programme focuses on recognising intergenerational trauma, breaking cycles, understanding implicit memory, and learning ways to navigate triggers rooted in childhood.

This group is grounded in:
· Relational care
· Collective strength
· Trauma-informed support
· Honouring each mum's inner wisdom and whakapapa.

I have a new group starting next term - please get in contact with me if you are interested.