In this episode, we sit down with Peter Thorburn, Director at Meth Education and Solution Services (MESS). He reflects on his journey through addiction, time in prison, and eventual recovery, and shares insights into how to better support rangatahi facing mental health and addiction challenges. Peter also examines gaps in the current system, highlighting the importance of building whānau capacity, and how connection, belonging, and hope can foster change across generations.

Peter Thorburn overcame a 23-year struggle with addiction, including eight years of methamphetamine dependence. Since his release from prison in 2005, he has worked as an AOD clinician, clinical supervisor, consumer advisor, and facilitator. In 2017, he established Meth Education and Solution Services (MESS), which delivers workforce development and clinical training across the mental health and addictions sector. 

In this episode, we talk to Jessica Apanui about the vital importance of lived experience roles in the mental health and addiction workforce. Jess shares insights from her work on the Mana Over Meth Kura Kaupapa programme and offers guidance for practitioners and whānau on how best to support young people navigating addiction. She also shares personal reflections and advice – grounded in her own lived experience with meth addiction.

Jessica Apanui is Principal Advisor – Lived experience addictions at Te Whatu Ora | Health New Zealand. She is a passionate advocate for transforming the approach to addiction in Aotearoa. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in areas such as methamphetamine education, gambling harm prevention, research and evaluation, governance, and culturally grounded approaches that prioritise the wellbeing of Māori whānau.

You can also watch a short documentary about Jess’s story here:

A Methamphetamine Recovery Story – Mana Over Meth

Warning: This film contains reenactments of drug abuse and addiction that some viewers may find disturbing and/or triggering.

*Content warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual trauma, which may be distressing for some listeners. If it brings up some difficult feelings, consider reaching out to someone you trust or a mental health professional for support.

In this episode, we speak with clinical psychologist, Catherine Gallagher about sexual trauma – its impact on children and young people, and the different ways in which people respond to experiencing sexual harm. She shares practical advice on supporting someone who discloses harm and highlights the different services and support available, emphasising that with the right support, healing is possible.

Catherine has more than 20 years’ experience across public, private, and education settings and is currently the Clinical Practice Manager at START, where she supports staff and delivers community education on sexual harm.

Resources:

START | Website

Safe to talk | Sexual Harm Helpline

*Content warning: This episode includes discussion of trauma, which may be distressing for some listeners. If it brings up some difficult feelings, consider reaching out to someone you trust or a mental health professional for support.

In this episode, we speak with clinical psychologist, Catherine Gallagher about trauma: what it is, what it isn’t, and how it can show up in children and adults. She shares practical guidance for parents on how to respond if their child is experiencing trauma, and outlines where to seek further advice and support.

Catherine has more than 20 years’ experience across public, private, and education settings and is currently the Clinical Practice Manager at START, where she supports staff and delivers community education on sexual harm.

In this episode we talk to Dr Grant Christie about the Substance & Choices Scale and Brief intervention tool (SACS-ABC).

This tool was developed by Grant in collaboration with Whāraurau, it is used to assist in identifying young people at risk of AOD problems and to guide brief intervention, further treatment, and/or referral options.

Dr. Grant Christie is a child and adolescent psychiatrist specialising in youth addictions.

Resources:

Substance & Choices Scale and Brief Intervention

SACS application | The brief

Wellbeing application | Headstrong

In this episode, we talk to Professor Te Kani Kingi about his research and projects, including his involvement in the development of the Te Whare Tapa model of Māori health. He also reflects on trends on Māori health and the impacts of social media on rangatahi in Aotearoa.

Professor Te Kani Kingi is the Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Te Whare Wananga O Awanuiarangi. He was born and raised in Poroporo (near Whakatāne) and has tribal affiliations to Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Awa, and Ngai Tai.

In this episode, we talk to Byron Rangiwai about his journey with ADHD – from early struggles in rigid classroom settings to finding academic success and cultural reconnection later in life. Byron shares insights on how schools and homes can better support neurodiverse young people and introduces his pīwakawaka analogy – a powerful way for young people to reframe ADHD and better understand themselves.

Byron Rangiwai is Associate Professor of Māori and Indigenous Research at Ngā Wai a Te Tūī: Māori and Indigenous Research Centre, based at Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka | Unitec Institute of Technology. With dual PhDs from Auckland University of Technology and the University of Otago, Byron’s current research interests centre on Māori and indigenous understandings of neurodiversity.

In this episode, we kōrero with Wiremu Gray about his journey from a challenging childhood to his work today as a counsellor and cultural advisor. Wiremu shares insights from his mahi supporting rangatahi in schools and offers practical guidance for practitioners working in this space. He also introduces the Te Whare Mauri Ora model, an innovative approach to mental health and cultural wellbeing grounded in Te Ao Māori.

Wiremu Gray has been working in the space of Māori woodcarving, wellbeing, leadership, supervision, and counselling for over 20 years. He is passionate about changing negative health statistics, especially for Māori. He believes that having a bicultural approach to wellbeing using the Te Whare Mauri Ora model is a positive step forward for institutions and health providers in Aotearoa.

In this episode, we talk to Kathryn Wright, who provides some advice for practitioners on handling rural mental health crises and spotlights the specific challenges these communities typically face.

Kathryn has studied and worked in the field of rural mental health for 10 years and has experience working with people aged five to 85, in schools and private practice. She is a full member of the New Zealand Association for Counsellors and is on the Community Health Council for Otago and Southland. Kathryn is also an accredited mental health first aid instructor.

In this episode, we’re joined by Enys Delmage and James Gardiner to talk about the current trends in youth offending, and how public perception shapes government policy in thisarea. Enys and James also highlight the importance of evidence-based early intervention and whānau-centred approaches to youth forensics.

 Enys Delmage is an adolescent psychiatrist based at Ngā Taiohi, a secure inpatient mental health service for young people. He works out of Porirua, New Zealand. He has a specific interest in the interface between young people and the law, and his research is predominantly focussed on the minimum age of criminal responsibility on an international scale.

James Gardiner is a forensic psychiatrist working at Tū Māia, formerly known as Regional Youth Forensic Services in Auckland.  Most of his work involves delivering in-reach mental health care to the two youth justice residences in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.  James has worked as an in-reach psychiatrist in various correctional settings for around 20 years, with the last 10 years working with young people.  

Resources:

Sarah Jane Blakemore – Inventing Ourselves | The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain