Islay Rackham | Wright Family Kupe Leadership Scholar

Master of Counselling

Oranga hinengaro (mental health) is becoming one of the defining challenges of modern society. It is something that affects us all, yet it’s been a deeply neglected part of the human experience. I believe we need to dramatically shift the way we think about mental health. I have seen how transformative counselling and mental health support can be, yet these lifesaving interventions are rarely used for two simple reasons. Insufficient investment into services, and more significantly, stigma.

Every day we lose our loved ones, not to poor mental health, but to a fear of judgment.

I want to use my experience and passion to not only support people on a one-to-one basis but contribute to changing the mental health conversation. We need to take more positive and aspirational action and empower all people to develop their emotional resilience and strengthen their mental health before a problem arises.

Sponsor: Wright Family Foundation

Mentor: Dr Elizabeth Berryman, CEO & Founder channl. Mental health champion, nurse, doctor and entrepreneur.