Social IssuesCulture
How it feels to be a loving but emotionally incompetent man
I’m one of the lucky ones. As a therapist, I see the usual outcome of childhood trauma: broken relationships and lifelong emotional difficulties. The stories shared in a recent documentary about the emotional impact of English boarding schools, ‘Boarding on Insanity’, reminded me of my own experiences and prompted me to share my learning.
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Social IssuesCulture
The Transformational Power of Human Connection: Why Our Mental Health System Needs More Than Pills and Protocols
In 2005, a young man stood on the edge of the Golden Gate Bridge, ready to end his life. Ninety minutes later, he stepped back from the ledge — alive. What changed?
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Social IssuesCulture
The Three Men I Lost & Found Myself
These stories aren’t just about heartbreak and loss — they’re about survival, and about learning to hold your own hand when no one else will. They're about finding your strength through devastation and not letting the world turn you bitter.
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Social Issues
Welcoming Dr Robin Youngson: A Groundbreaking Trauma Specialist and Trustee of Kiwis For Good
Kiwis For Good is proud to announce the appointment of Dr Robin Youngson as a Trustee of our organisation. Dr Youngson is a leading trauma specialist and the founder of a pioneering therapeutic practice known as Somatic Compassion – a powerful integration of neuroscience, affective touch, and compassionate presence that has transformative effects on trauma healing.
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Social IssuesCulture
Unconditional Love, Ageing with Dignity, and Recognising Narcissism
For nearly sixteen years, I worked as a diversional therapist at Princess Alexandra Retirement Village in Napier. Two weeks ago, I made the difficult decision to resign.
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Social IssuesCulture
Legalised Extortion: The Dark World of New Zealand’s Debt Buyers
I was halfway through my second cup of coffee in the dim corner of a back-alley cafe when I received a tip-off about the shadowy practice of junk debt buying. The email was cryptic, almost paranoid, and signed with the initials P.A.H. It read...
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PoliticsSocial IssuesCulture
Husband of UK Royal Dies After ‘Adverse Effects of Medication’
The tragic death of Thomas Kingston, husband of Lady Gabriella, has brought to light the dangers associated with antidepressant medications and the growing reliance on pharmaceutical interventions for mental health challenges. An inquest in Gloucestershire revealed that Kingston took his own life after experiencing severe adverse effects from antidepressants prescribed by a Buckingham Palace doctor..
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Social Issues
Wayne Hanson: A Journey of Resilience and Hope
I was born on 23 October 1971 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England, to my parents, Eric and Ann Hanson. My childhood was filled with adventure and mischief, and as the eldest of three children, I naturally took on the role of protector and guide to my younger brother and sister.
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Social IssuesTechnology
An Exposé: Study 329, Antidepressants, and New Zealand’s Youth Suicide Crisis
The alarming prevalence of antidepressant use among New Zealand’s youth demands urgent scrutiny. According to Ministry of Health data obtained by Kiwis For Good, in 2021, over 10,000 prescriptions for the antidepressant paroxetine were written for individuals under 30, including 1,330 for those under 19. These figures are particularly concerning given the dark history of paroxetine, a drug at the centre of one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most notorious scandals: Study 329.
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Social Issues
Unlocking Happiness: What Himalayan Monks Teach Us About Mental Health
In the lush valleys and snowy peaks of the Himalayas, a group of Tibetan monks has quietly mastered an ancient practice that could transform how we approach mental health. Thanks to groundbreaking research by neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson, we now have scientific evidence that their meditation practices can reshape the brain—and improve mental well-being in ways that are accessible to everyone.
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Social Issues
New Zealand’s Drinking Culture and the Shadow It Casts on Mental Health
Alcohol, long considered a social cornerstone in New Zealand, has once again come under scrutiny, this time sparked by comments from mental health advocate Mike King. King suggested that, in some cases, alcohol may have prevented individuals from taking their own lives by numbing overwhelming distress.
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Social Issues
The Micronutrient Revolution: How Professor Julia Rucklidge is Changing Mental Health Treatment
Professor Julia Rucklidge at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand is no ordinary clinical psychologist. For over a decade, her research into the effects of micronutrients on mental health has challenged mainstream approaches, which often prioritise pharmaceutical treatments over nutritional interventions. Her work has not only caught the attention of her peers but has also fuelled a worldwide debate about how we understand, treat, and prevent mental health disorders.
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