Our Story

There is an old Wairarapa saying, ‘Te Hiringa i te Mahara’, which encourages us to be strong of mind and aware of our true potential.

Our goal at ChangeAbility is to realise a vision for the Wairarapa where grief, anxiety and other troubling emotional or relational issues are addressed and resolved, where couples and families and whanau learn to take better care of each other and their children, and where trust, safety and respect are restored. A changed place. A better place.

ChangeAbility is the new name of an organisation that’s creating real change in the Wairarapa. For those dealing with anxiety, grief or depression, to those who are affected by family violence and abuse, ChangeAbility offers a non-judgmental, caring space where all members of a family/whānau can be involved and supported.

Our wide range of programmes and counselling services enables individuals, couples, families and whānau to make the changes that are holding them back – and that helps us transform our community, for the better.

To create change, we’ve changed too

We’ve merged two local agencies: Stopping Violence Services Wairarapa (SVSW) and Wairarapa Community Counselling (WCC) under one, more concise name, ChangeAbility.

This merger means that ChangeAbility can now offer counselling, programmes and services across the whole spectrum in the Wairarapa for anxiety, grief, and depression, emotional and relational issues as well as for those who want to become safe and live free of the effects of family violence.

And it reflects a much-needed change in thinking that’s already created positive outcomes in our region. In 2010, our agency began collaborating with other local agencies, including Government and NGO agencies, councils, schools and medical services, among others. And so far, it’s working. Since then, we’ve seen a significant change in attitudes to family violence and reductions in reported family violence incidents each week – a fact that we’re very proud of.

It’s a welcome change.