The Change Place, Rodney

The Change Place, based in Whangaparaoa, provide services across the Rodney area focused on stopping family violence by providing phyco-educational programmes and counselling to those who are users of violence as well as to the victim-survivors of family violence, including adults, youth and children.

Our specialist family violence services include:

The Change Place offer programme and counselling to children who have been impacted by family harm.   We offer a respectful and safe place for children to explore and overcome issues that may affect their lives.   We aim to have children thrive in their lives.  We offer support that is child centred and goes at the child’s pace.   We aim to offer support that is fun, educational, and healing.  Children & Youth

Individual counselling and programme is offered to young people who have been impacted by family harm.  All our support is individual and our team understand and hold in mind the wider challenges that young people may experience, and may bring into the therapeutic space. Youth

The Change Place women’s safety programme, Living Free, runs for 12 weeks.   The programme is designed to help women find clarity about their lived experience of family violence.  We do this by providing a fuller analysis of family violence including exploring the intentions behind, and impacts of, power and control.  Throughout the programme we explore what womens resistance to family and sexual violence means and what this looks like in their own story.   We then start to explore all aspects of intimate partner relationships, including the foundations of healthy relationships, communication, the concept of boundaries, healthy sexual relationships, equality within relationships and respectful relating.  We also explore identity, and this includes the socialisation of women.  Throughout the programme women connect with, and explore  feelings such as grief, anger, shame and guilt, and we have a strong focus on self care and wellbeing.  We are always mindful of women’s safety and as part of our programme, we check in weekly on womens physical and emotional safety.  Included in the programme is safety planning, and exploring legislation in place to support women who are or have experienced family violence. We also look at the parenting needs of children who have been impacted by family violence .   As a natural part of group process, women feel supported and empowered by each other which helps to create community and connection. Women 

The Change Place offer support to men who recognise that their behaviour is impacting negatively or causing harm within their families or relationships and want to change.  Our programme allows men to recognise unwanted, harmful, controlling or abusive patterns of behaviour and provides tools to develop positive and empowering ways of interacting and building respectful relationships.  Men get to explore anger and learn about and recognise the feelings that sit under anger.   We explore the underlying thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes that underpin power and control behaviours.  This includes looking at the way in which genders are socialised.  All men looking for support are offered individual sessions with one of our team members.  This provides an opportunity to hear more about the situation and helps us understand what supports are needed. Men