Cult experience in childhood drives GP’s work supporting survivors

Christchurch GP Dr Caroline Ansley is drawing on her childhood experience in a cult to improve support for people leaving cults and high control groups. Ansley described how her experience helped shape her work educating health professionals about coercive control and the difficulties survivors fa…

Eating Disorders: Recognising the Signs and Finding a Way to Recovery

Eating disorders can affect people of any age and background, and families are being urged to trust their instincts and seek help early if something does not seem right. The issue was discussed with Eating Disorders Association of New Zealand chair Andrea Bonetto. Bonetto brings both personal and…

Bipolar, Addiction and the Power of Support

A published author who spent years battling addiction alongside bipolar disorder says learning to accept difficult emotions and ask for help became central to her recovery. Speaking on The Nutters Club on Newstalk ZB, Charlotte Bell described how alcohol became a coping mechanism from a young age …

Can AI Really Help With Our Mental Health?

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a place people turn to for emotional support, but questions remain over whether a chatbot can ever replace genuine human connection. The issue was explored on The Nutters Club on Newstalk ZB, where host Hamish Williams and psychotherapist Kyle MacDo…

Tokoroa mother shares grief after son's death in hope of helping others

A Tokoroa mother who lost her son to suicide earlier this year says she is speaking publicly about her grief in the hope his death can help others struggling with their mental health. Bridget Coward joined The Nutters Club on Newstalk ZB to talk about her son Bradley, who died in April after livin…

The many different responses to Fathers Day

Father’s Day can be a celebration for some families, but for many New Zealanders it can also bring grief, loneliness and unresolved emotions. Nutters Club Host Hamish Williams and Psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald used the Father’s Day edition of the show to explore the different ways people experien…

Justin’s Legacy: How a Grandfather Turned Grief into Hope

A Christchurch grandfather has turned the grief of losing his teenage grandson into a campaign for open conversations about mental health. Jimmy Gifford shared that his grandson Justin died by suicide two years after confiding in him about bullying, family pressures and self-harm. Justin was 15 wh…

Finding Meaning: Faith, Nature and Mental Health

Faith, nature and community took centre stage on The Nutters Club this week, as host Hamish Williams and psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald explored how a sense of something larger than oneself can support mental health. The Newstalk ZB programme invited listeners to consider the role of religion, spi…

Reconex NZ: From Prison to Prevention, How Two Tokoroa Men Are Supporting The Next Generation

Two Tokoroa men who spent years caught in cycles of addiction, crime and imprisonment are now using their lived experience to help young people avoid the same path. Joel Nicholson and Richard Heke shared their stories and spoke about Reconex NZ, the charitable trust they have established to work w…

Money, mental health and the power of having a plan

Money worries are about far more than household budgets, with financial insecurity capable of having a profound impact on mental health, according to psychotherapist Kyle MacDonald. MacDonald said the psychological relationship people have with money can be just as important as the amount they ear…