West Auckland Team

Contact

6b Montel Ave, Henderson
PO Box 121402, Henderson
Auckland
Ph : (09) 838 3204
Fax : (09) 838 3850

The Team

Lisa Kane
Peer Support Worker

Over the past five years, Lisa has completed and graduated from the Certificate in Community Skills at Unitec. She has also trained as a T.I.P.S facilitator and more recently trained to co-facilitate and companion children through their loss, grief and change. Lisa is a firm believer that, given the right support, opportunities, and resources, people can become empowered and live rich and full lives.

Dale Somerville
Peer Support Worker

Dale trained as a teacher in her early years and later retrained as a counsellor. Dale has a special interest in helping people through relational issues and is particularly passionate about using her life experience to assist others to achieve balance and success in their walk through life and to achieve a life worth living.

Paul Witherspoon
Peer Support Worker

Paul is in his late fifties and was born in Liverpool, England. He immigrated to Aotearoa, New Zealand in 1986. He’s experienced episodes of mental illness since his teens which resulted in loss of identity, social isolation and eventually total despair.

Paul acknowledges that the path of recovery from mental and emotional distress can be tough going, and at times a lonely route as well. But with the support of people with similar experiences, he set about achieving his goal for a rewarding life worth living. “Music can be powerful medicine” he says, “and I don’t need a prescription to get it. Photography has also helped me focus on the world outside my head!” Paul is a qualified Peer Support Worker and has been with Mind and Body since 2007. With his personal experience of mental distress Paul brings empathy and a realistic approach to his role in Peer Support. “It’s a privilege to be invited to travel for a while, alongside someone who’s also on the journey of recovery. It’s a privilege of trust that I never take for granted”.

Gudrun Gailer
Peer Support Worker

Gudrun originally trained as a Physical Rehabilitation Therapist in Germany before immigrating to NZ in 1988. Her work experiences range from working as a Physiotherapist, coaching children, woman and elderly gymnastics, teaching adults swimming, to facilitating meditation and craft classes.

She is a dedicated mother of two children, and that love for her children has been a catalyst for her to turn her life around. In recent years, she gained a Diploma in Counselling, and is still working towards her Diploma in Family Therapy.

Gudrun has a passion for supporting others on their journey, to live a life worth living.

Ramon Herber
Peer Support Worker

Ramon is a New Zealand born man in his mid thirties. For most of his life he has lived with anxiety and depression, which went undiagnosed until he had a major depressive episode later in his life. Ramon has recently completed the Bachelor of Social Practice at Unitec, majoring in counselling. He also has experience working in the field of alcohol and drugs, problem gambling, victim support, and as a counsellor.

Ramon has a passion for supporting people in sickness and in health, and helping them live the life they want to live.