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Pumahara Consultants provide expertise for your personal and professional development. This expertise includes meaningful training, professional supervision and mentoring and other workplace focussed consultancy.

Whaiwhia te kete mātauranga
Fill the basket of knowledge

This whakatauki speaks to the value of education and expanding our knowledge in encouraging people to fill their baskets with their learning.

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Workshops To Choose From​
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development specialists

Meaningful learning in the workplace

Our workshops use real life scenarios and practical activities to make learning meaningful.

We can tailor a workshop to your needs otherwise pick from the workshops below.

All services delivered face to face in a setting of your choice or we can use ZOOM and other platforms.

Our workshops

Explore the Workshops on offer

Along with these workshops, we can also tailor a course to specifically cater for your needs. 

If you have any questions or queries, please feel free to contact us.

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De-escalation: Effective and Safe Communication for Customer Care Settings

De-escalation: Effective and Safe Communication for Health and Community Service Settings

(May include breakaways)​

Collaborative Note Writing in Health and Community Support Settings

Boundaries and Ethics for Health and Community Work

Advancing the Skills of Case Management in the Community

Understanding the Impact of Mental Illness in People with Intellectual Disability

Understanding Cultural Diversity and Cultural safety: Working Safely in a Multi-Cultural Context

Understanding and Responding to Behaviours that Challenge: Health and/or Developmental Situations

Recognising and Responding to Psychological Distress in the Workplace

Understanding Psychosis: Providing Effective and Safe Support

An Overview of Common Mental Health Disorders

Identifying and Responding to Excess Stress and Burnout at Work

Understanding Different Personality and Communication Styles in the Workplace

Understanding Diversity: Working Together in a Multicultural Environment

Understanding and Supporting Those with Borderline Personality Disorders

Understanding Personality Disorders and the Impact on Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviour

Mental Health Legislation: Understanding the Law, Client’s Rights and Privacy​

Turning Your Learning Into Action

Clinical, Professional and Personal Supervision

Supervision with Dr. Chis Taua provides the opportunity to support and encourage an individual’s professional and personal development and learning and our passion lies in supporting people as they adjust to change and growth. Supervisions assist you to translate developing knowledge into practice. We offer role identity, strengths-based approaches, and small figure work.


More Information
Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa

Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa

Become a Mental Health First Aider

Statistics show that almost 50% of New Zealanders will meet criteria for mental health challenges at some stage in their lives. Mental health challenges also are not limited to particular groups of people, they can affect all of us at some time either personally or within our family/whanau, workplaces, education settings and even on the sports fields. Suicide is reported to be one of the top three leading causes of death in Aotearoa NZ.

Our Vision at Pumahara Consultants is to skill people in the community, in workplaces and any other setting to assist others who may be experiencing a mental health challenge or developing a mental health crisis. We want to help you learn the skills to have safe conversations around mental health and distress. Talk to us about becoming a Mental Health First Aider.

The two-day Mental Health First Aid training program is evidence-based, evidence-informed, internationally researched, and can be found in 24 countries around the world.

Aside from the skills, confidence and knowledge you will gain you will receive a Certificate of Attendance to the Mental Health First Aid course and you can choose to complete an open book online short test to be recognised as an accredited Mental Health First Aider (the latter is not compulsory). You will also receive a manual that has comprehensive information and  an in-depth list of support services and practical resources to assist someone experiencing a mental health challenge.

Contact us to discuss options for delivery. We have a variety of possible delivery modes to meet your needs.

Please note this course is for education purposes only for people aged 18 years and over. It is not for providing therapeutic support.

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Learn All About Our Consultants

Meet Our Team

Dr. Chris Taua

Director/Consultant

PhD., RN., BN., MN(Distinction)., PGC(MH), CAdultTch.,CPreceptorship., FNZCMHN., MANZMH

Dr. Chris Taua

Director/Consultant

Chris is a registered nurse by profession with a background in mental health. She has over 25 years' experience in health, education, and community service sectors. Her education portfolio is vast and diverse and includes but is not limited to mental health and illness, disability, ethics and boundaries, communication and de-escalation, collaborative note writing, and culturally safe practice. Her PhD explored the mental health inpatient experiences of people with intellectual disability and she continues to publish on this and other topics including cultural diversity/cultural safety. She is currently Director and primary Consultant for ‘Pumahara Consultants’ and holds an Honorary Senior Lecturer role with the University of Queensland as well as other teaching roles with various Universities around New Zealand and Australia. Chris is a nurse member of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, a Ministry of Health appointed position. She has sat on various Boards and her current voluntary role is as Editor of the NZ College of Mental health nurses Newsletter. Chris is Based in Canterbury but has flexibility to travel to all areas of New Zealand.

Gail Phillips

Associate

Dip.N, MN (Merit), PGDip (Mental Health), PGCert Alcohol and Other Drugs, CPreceptorship, MNZCMHN

Gail Phillips

Associate

Gail is a registered nurse with over 25 years’ experience working in a variety of mental health nursing and education roles within the Canterbury region. She has a special interest in psychopharmacology and has undertaken education in pharmacology and prescribing as part of her Masters in Nursing. She has recently completed her application for Nurse prescribing. Her current clinical position is Psychiatric Consult Liaison Nurse in a busy Emergency Department. She also teaches and undertakes other academic work for Universities in New Zealand and Australia. Gail’s teaching portfolio includes as well de-escalation and various mental illness topics. Gail has undertaken training in adult education and is an approved Clinical Supervisor for the CDHB. Gail is based in Canterbury but does have some flexibility to travel.

Grant Cooper

Associate

B.Com

Grant Cooper

Associate

Grant has 20 years’ experience working in the field of mental health in a wide variety of roles. This includes being a manager of a mental health service specialising in advocacy and peer support; a mental health promoter with the Like Minds, Like Mine programme; mental health educator to a wide variety of community, government and mental health organisations; Individual and group supervision to mental health services staff; managing an education programme to medical students; managing a mental health research programme and strategic development and Governance roles in mental health services.

Grant also has considerable experience working in the field of intellectual disability in management and support roles. He has his own lived experience of mental distress which has been integral to all his roles

Grant is based in Dunedin and is currently involved in a wide variety of education, supervision and research roles. Grants formal qualifications include a B.Com and Teaching Diploma and well as training in Intentional Peer Support and Professional Supervision

Kathryn Eilken

Associate

RN, RM

Kathryn Eilken

Associate

Kathryn is a highly experienced nurse with vast experience working with high-risk adolescents. Her expertise is in working in various specialised mental health and general health inpatient settings across the lifespan. She has worked in youth residential services, various NGO settings, as a family/youth worker for marginalised youth and has provided clinical supervision for NGO youth mental health staff as well as in acute adult mental health settings. Kathryn also worked in a variety of roles in the United Kingdom. She currently works in older persons mental health. Kathryn’s primary area for teaching is in Youth workshops although this portfolio is currently expanding to include De-escalation and other mental health topics. Kathryn is based in Canterbury.

What Our Clients Say

Client Testimonials

"Another great and workshop from Chris as usual. Always interesting and lots of knowledge is shared from Chris. I have a better understanding of anxiety."
MHERC Anxiety Workshop participantFebruary 2021
"Thinking about what pushes my own buttons to be able to be more self aware was useful. Understanding the different stages and also the different types of anger also great. Plenty of key phrases to take away from the case studies too. Breakaways was fun but very practical."
Housing Service Contracted De-escalation and Breakaway Workshop ParticipantNovember 2020
“Scenarios and looking at real life examples were practical and relevant, learning about pre-screening especially what to ask prior to a visit was so important, and to always plan and prepare before going to a new visit.”
Safer Home Visiting Workshop ParticipantJanuary 2021
"Case studies and inputs around distinguishing whether a behaviour is a mental health issue or just a behavioural issues were so useful."
MH and ID Issues and Complexities Workshop ParticipantJanuary 2021
“Reinforced that the best way to deescalate a situation is to take the time to show empathy, caring and value of the person. Also I thought it was great advice that you should try and think of 3 options for someone that allows them to feel they have choice in the situation. Stop and purposefully take a deep breathe before responding so you can set aside your own triggers.”
De-escalation Session for Private ContractorNovember 2020
"Thoroughly enjoyed Chris's workshop today. Love all the knowledge she shares with the class and always leave there with lots of valuable information I can use when working with clients and supporting family members. Really got a lot out of the workshop - Dr. Chris was extremely informative and did a fantastic job! Chris was an awesome, engaging and enthusiastic facilitator whose knowledge and wealth of experience were clear and invaluable to adding depth to the workshop I will apply what I have learnt by trying to better support my clients and family who are struggling with mental health issues. So much great information shared by Chris today which can be applied while supporting someone."
Basic Mental Health and Illness Overview Workshop ParticipantFebruary 2021

To Enquire About Our Services and Workshops

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