The need to experience mental wellbeing is universal. Join us as we explore with thought leaders, psychologist & wisdom keepers the art and science of experiencing good mental health & wellbeing.

With Guest Speakers

Tina Jones Counsellor , Founder & Director of Youth in Transition Charitable Trust

Prof Anil Thapliyal Chair e-Mental Health Working Group, International Initiative for Mental Health

Gareth Edwards Psychologist, Musician, Founder of Positive Thinking

Srinivas Arka Philosopher, Author, Developer of Human Positive Potential Programmes, Founder of Centre for Conscious Awareness Charities and Arka Foundation

Featured Work On :

Youth in Transition Charitable Trust

Tina Jones is the co-founder of a unique charity that has demonstrated continued success in offering holistic methodologies for youth who find themselves in states of depression and suicidal tendencies.

Positive Thinking

Gareth is the founder of Positive Thinking , with a doctorate in Psychology he contributes his insights from building, running and evaluating mental health programs. Contribution includes music to transform health and digital mental health.

e-Mental Health

Anil has an extensive interest in the role of online/digital technologies in patient/service user engagement, online screening, early brief interventions,self-help, self-management and treatment in the provision of mental health care.

EVENT DETAILS

This event is an opportunity to learn and share knowledge gained from experience. The organisers wish to invite community members who would like to learn about tools for better mental health, as well as professionals in the field of mental health and wellbeing.

SPEAKER PROFILES

Srinivas Arka

Srinivas Arka is a philosopher, author and internationally renowned speaker who focuses on achieving a state of wellbeing by addressing our mental, physical and spiritual health. He uses a form of meditation (Arka Dhyana) which helps us understand our true selves.

At an early age, Arka embarked on a search for the meaning of life (through serious inquiries into the timeless self in the time-bound body), scepticism, belief systems and the nature of human consciousness.

Arka undertook formal education in the Sanskrit language and English literature, gaining a degree in Sanskrit from Mysore University, Karnataka, and a Masters degree in English. He also studied Eastern Philosophy gaining insights into human nature.

For over three decades, Srinivas Arka has been travelling the world, sharing his knowledge with people from various backgrounds, cultures and professions. Along the way he has met thinkers, policy makers, professionals and students.

His extensive work of inspirational writings touches all areas of human existence from spirituality to a practical daily approach to environmental consciousness.

When he’s not travelling the world delivering workshops, seminars and lectures, Srinivas enjoys playing football and tennis, practicing martial arts and yoga and speaking Spanish.

His mission is to bring awareness of a philosophical understanding on how learning should take place, our role as human beings and how our future can be shaped based on our current thinking.

Srinivas Arka has founded Centre for Conscious Awareness (CCA) Registered Charitable organisations globally. Arka Dhama Ayurveda in India has also been established to help strengthen our physical, mental and emotional health using ancient wisdom.

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Gareth Edwards

Living life less seriously

we laugh. we cry. we grow, together.

Modern life is hard. With the advent of social media we are more connected yet more isolated than ever before. Suicide rates, particularly in New Zealand, are the highest they have ever been, and mental health is a topic that most societies are failing at. Hard.

People are increasingly disconnected from each other, from themselves, and the toll is huge. Many are left feeling lost, overwhelmed and in pain.

Creating lasting, positive change in our lives can seem like a daunting task. We only see the big, scary obstacles in front of us and so we’re easily overwhelmed just thinking about all the things we need to do to take our lives from where they are now to where we want them to be.

But every journey starts with a single step, and Gareth is here to help you make that step.

His mission in life is to make you laugh. With him. At him. At yourself. With others. Whatever it takes to empower you to reconnect to YOU and to one another, so that through those small chuckles, high-pitched giggles and huge belly laughs you can find your path to your purpose and lead a happier, more fulfilled life.

Where there is laughter, there is hope.

About the speaker Gareth Edwards

writer. musician. coach. all round funny guy.

Maybe it’s his northern British roots, or maybe it’s because he’s was always the joker, but Gareth has spent most of his life seeing the power laughter has to transform people’s lives.

This was never more evident than during his own journey with mental health and subsequent 20 year career in Mental Health provisions across the UK and New Zealand, where he saw that if we can find the ability to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, we can start to see the light rather than the dark. That things don’t seem quite so hopeless...

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Helping Young People – Find A Life Worth Living

About Youth in Transition Charitable Trust

Every journey starts with the first step. For some, this first step is easier to take than for others. For some of us it takes a feeling of being at the end of our road, before we have the courage to ask for help with the journey back from that ‘end’.

Youth in Transition is a group of skilled, dedicated and passionate people committed to supporting any young person, their family and close friends, on that journey – for however long it may take.

The Trust’s core service involves a programme called the “Journey Back to Awesome” which is proving to be highly successful in addressing the needs of young people who are dealing with issues such as low self-esteem, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. Over the past four years we have helped hundreds of young people, aged 10-24, to get through their struggles and transition in to a life worth living.

About the speaker

Tina Jones

Director, Counsellor, Co-Founder – Youth in Transition Charitable Trust

Tina is a registered practitioner with many years of experience working with youth in crisis. She has spent eight years working with Victim Support and the New Zealand Police, as part of the suicide bereavement team. Tina dedicated her career to working with our young people after witnessing first-hand the tragic deaths of far too many young people to suicide and the devastating effects on their families and friends.

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Services for better outcome

About the speaker

Prof. (Adj) Anil Thapliyal

Executive Director, eMental Health International Collborative, eMental Health Lead, Centre for eHealth, Auckland University of Technology

Anil is a globally recognized for transformation in mental health and addiction domain through the application of innovative approaches seamlessly integrated within people’s care.

s through e-mental health

The need for recognising the use of digital technologies in helping the mental health services is key to better patient outcomes. Anil is known for his leadership in shaping the use of digital technologies to improve access to care in mental health services which include significant programmes of work in New Zealand, Canada, USA and Australia. His leadership in the design, development and implementation of the eMental Health and Addiction services at the National Telehealth Service was recently instrumental in providing a vital service caused by the tragedy in Christchurch. The digital service was central to the psycho-social response via telephone and text based services after the Christchurch tragedy on 15 March in New Zealand.

He says "We must focus on the service user, their families and carers. If it does not work for them, it does not work".

Noted below are some of the national and international governance roles he holds:

• Trustee, Health Navigator Charitable Trust, New Zealand;
• Member, Clinical Governance Committee, Homecare Medical, New Zealand;
• International Advisor, The Centre for Applied Research and Evaluation International Foundation (CAREIF), University of London, England;
• Member, eMental Health Section, World Psychiatric Association.

FAQs

What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event?

Parking is available at the venue.

How can I contact the organiser with any questions?

Yes. Phone on 09 2799025.