This interview aired last Monday, the 28th April, 2025 on RNZ click here to see the original story…
Listen to the interview below
For decades Segar House has helped people in Auckland experiencing self-harm, early life trauma, long-standing depression or chronic suicidality.
It offers a publicly-funded, intensive psychotherapy day programme – the only one of its kind in the country.
But under a change proposal from Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand the programme is set to be disestablished; its resources and staff “re-invested” elsewhere.
The proposal cites low participant numbers, transport barriers to access and Covid having an impact on a revamp of the day programme.
But Kyle MacDonald, a psychotherapist who worked at Segar House for a number of years, says the closure is short-sighted – the programme was always designed to be resource-intensive up front, to prevent people needing further therapy down the line.
He joins Kathryn, along with a former patient who says the Segar House programme helped save her life.
