Counselling Awareness Week 2011

I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.

Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the morning (Sign).

I then specifically greet you: Sam Fairhall, Chair of the Home and Family Counselling Board and your fellow Board members; Mary Gray, Executive Director of Home and Family Counselling and your staff; Jo Denvir and George Hill, Chief Executive and Kaumatua respectively of Lifeline New Zealand; Dianne Kenderdine and Wilson Irons, President and Chief Executive respectively of the Anglican Trust for Women and Children; staff and volunteers of the supporting counselling agencies present; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen. 

It is a great pleasure for Susan and I to accept your invitation to attend this celebration breakfast.

As Governor-General and Patron of Home and Family Counselling, I have been asked to officially launch ‘Counselling Awareness Week’.  I shall be pleased to do so and just before that, I would – taking pre-emptive hold of a slogan which will be used in the days that follow “it’s better to talk” – like to speak briefly on the importance of counselling services, particularly in the wake of the recent disasters we have experienced as a country.

As each person here undoubtedly knows, our country is going through an unprecedented rough period.  Our community, like many in other parts of the world, suffered as a result of the 2008 global financial crisis.  In the last year, we have been confronted with a number of disasters that have affected thousands of people.  They have included, most notably the Pike River Mine disaster in November 2010, the earthquakes in Canterbury and Christchurch, particularly that which occurred on 77 days ago, on 22 February and the tornado which struck Auckland’s North Shore seven days ago.

The tragic loss of life and homes, the feeling of safety and security being breached, and the sense of trust in the ground beneath our feet being diminished, have resulted in a large number of New Zealanders having to come to terms with their new realities.  Anxiety, trauma, and grief have become evident in thousands of individual lives for varied reasons.

For a great many it may have arisen through loss of home and personal belongings.  For many others, it may have meant coming to terms with the loss of a family member or a friend and handling the blanket of grief that accompanies that loss.  It will also cover people who have suffered physical and emotional injuries with which they will live for the rest of their lives.

This is a time where the value of counselling and promotion of such services is of heightened importance.  Providing an avenue for people to express their feelings and concerns to a professional counsellor or supporter is vital in the healing process, and for well-being of individuals and families affected by grief, anxiety, trauma and change. 

Such is the nature of what has happened in Canterbury and on the West Coast, for example, that there will be a great many people seeking support from counselling and community support organisations who have never had to call on that kind of help before.  I recently read, in the media, comments from Lifeline’s National Clinical Director Melanie Ingram that their service is receiving many more calls since the Christchurch earthquake.   I am sure that a general consensus of the organisations represented here today will be that workloads have increased significantly in the last year. 

It seems appropriate to mention the wisdom of the old adage which goes “A burden shared is a burden halved”.  Counselling Awareness Week is an opportunity to highlight the value of counselling to everyone in overcoming the difficulties and challenges they face. 

It is also an opportunity to highlight the valuable work of the organisations that provide these services.  All of them are community organisations that rely on volunteer support and donations that assist thousands of New Zealanders every year.

I wish to congratulate Home and Family Counselling for again taking the lead in organising an awareness week to promote the benefits of counselling. I understand this to be Counselling Awareness Week’s fifth year running.

More widely, however, I also wish to congratulate the many other organisations that are supporting and participating in the week’s activities.  The collaboration that can be seen by a great many counselling agencies working together to achieve greater publicity and promotion of the services available throughout the country will play a vital role in informing the wider New Zealand community.

And thus, on a note offering praise and appreciation for the contribution that all agencies represented here make to New Zealand society, I will close in New Zealand’s first language offering everyone greetings and wishing everyone good health and fortitude in your endeavours.

No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.

It now gives me great to pleasure to officially launch the 5th Counselling Awareness week.