Kaiwhakamahereora | Counsellor

Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Warm Pacific greetings

• Do you have an interest in supporting Pasifika young people to thrive and achieve their goals?
• Are you an experienced mental health practitioner looking for a collegial and supportive team?
• Have you been looking for a workplace that actively supports diversity and encourages professional development?

Kōrero mō te tūranga - About the role

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington has an exciting opportunity for a qualified and experienced Kaiwhakamahereora - Counsellor, Mental Health Nurse, Occupational Therapist, Psychologist, Psychotherapist, or Social Worker, to join our passionate and motivated team. You will have a strong passion in supporting Pasifika people and communities as well as working with young adults and mature students. If you are interested, read on.

Mauri Ora - Student Health and Counselling is seeking an experienced mental health clinician to join our team on a part-time, fixed term basis until November 2025. This exciting opportunity is to be a part of our Counselling Team which provides short-term counselling or therapeutic support to university students.

This role will focus on supporting our Pasifika students’ wellbeing and academic success. You will provide culturally safe mental health support as well as build connections with all relevant community partners that will contribute to students thriving.

The Student Counselling Service works in a holistic and collaborative manner with our medical and nursing team, and other Students Services including Pasifika Student Support, Awhina, Te Amaru - Disability Services, Te Taiako - Student Learning, Te Kahupapa - Wellington University International, and Tauria - Student Interest and Conflict Resolution.

Ō pūmanawa - About you

You must have the following:

• An experienced, qualified practitioner with a current practising certificate that complies with the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (2003) or a Counsellor with NZAC full registration and Te Whatu Ora Accreditation.
• University Degree or Post graduate qualification in a mental health related discipline such as counselling, psychology, psychotherapy, social work, mental health nursing, or occupational therapy.
• Proven/demonstrated experience supporting Pasifika people and communities.
• Experience and interest in working in a culturally safe approach with Pasifika students and applying cultural models of wellbeing.
• Proven understanding of issues relating to late adolescence and early adulthood.
• Experience in providing holistic mental health assessments and delivering a range of therapeutic approaches including solution focused, brief/time limited models of counselling.
• Experience in mental health crisis management and intervention.
• Proven ability to counsel using an approach that is non-judgemental, flexible, empathic, and sensitive to cultural, religious differences, gender, and sexual orientation.
• Commitment to application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in an educational context.

Ideally, you will have the following:

• Fluency in a Pasifika language(s).
• Experienced in the provision of consultation and mental health promotion/preventive services.
• Knowledge of The Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.
• Knowledge of the support needs of university students and of equity issues.
• Familiarity with practice management software and Microsoft Suite.

This role requires safety checking through the police vetting system under the Vulnerable Children Act 2014.

Role Description - Click here to see further information, including salary.

Close date for vacancy: 16 May 2025.

Contact details for vacancy: If you have any questions regarding this role please get in touch with Laureline Darques ([email protected]).

How to apply: Please ensure you are applying for this role directly on our career's page and not via email.When applying for this position, candidates must submit supporting documents along with their resume, such as a cover letter.

We can only consider applicants who are citizens or residents of New Zealand or Australia or on a current working visa. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and we may progress with suitable applicants prior to the application closing date. Applications from recruitment agencies are not accepted.

Ētahi kōrero hai āwhina i a koe - Why you should join our team

We are a collegial team from a variety of cultural and professional backgrounds. We cultivate regular professional and social connections to foster a supportive and warm atmosphere. We offer competitive salary, and our team benefits include:

• 5 professional development days and individual professional development budget (pro rata).
• In-house professional development sessions on cultural and clinical topics.
• Fortnightly external clinical supervision (pro rata) & fortnightly in-house peer supervision.
• Professional indemnity insurance and annual registration (pro rata).

As a staff member of Te Herenga Waka, you will also benefit from University Holidays and staff discounts and packages. More info can be found here.

If you are curious, eager to work in a tight knit team and have a great sense of community you will fit right in!

About Us

Mō Te Herenga Waka - About Our University

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is renowned for its high-quality research and exceptional teaching. We attract people from around the world. Our university campus spans Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington - the creative, scientific and political centre of Aotearoa New Zealand - and our students thrive on the connections we’ve made here.

Explore the many benefits of working at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington. Find out where you fit in our strategic direction and learn more about our research expertise.