This Mental Health Awareness Week is a chance to connect and kōrero about what’s most important at work, at home (and everywhere in between) – our connections with the people and places that lift us up.
Join our free webinars and panel discussions, enjoy our free resources, and check out our evidence-based and psychologist-led mental health, wellbeing and resilience support options for your team and organisation.
FREE ONLINE EVENTS
The power of reconnection – Boosting staff wellbeing and resilience in times of change and uncertainty
Mental Health Foundation webinar and panel discussion / 27 September 2022 / 11:00AM – 12:00PM
Tune into this free webinar organised by Mental Health Foundation to hear from some of the leading experts in the fields of workplace wellbeing, mental health, leadership coaching, and human resource management in Aotearoa New Zealand, including:
- Shaun Robinson, CEO of the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
- Dr Dougal Sutherland, Clinical Psychologist and CEO of Umbrella Wellbeing
- Suzi McAlpine, Executive Coach and Author of Beyond Burnout
- Dr Jarrod Haar, Professor of Human Resource Management at AUT
In the webinar, we’ll kōrero about:
- How reconnecting can help employers and employees in Aotearoa manage and mitigate the current challenges in the workplace, primarily high rates of burnout exacerbated by the ongoing effects of the pandemic
- How to facilitate meaningful reconnections in a hybrid, dispersed or fully remote workforce
You’ll also have the opportunity to ask any questions during the Q&A part at the end.
Free webinar and Q&A / 27 September 2022 / 12:30 – 1.15pm
One of the most important factors that helps us to build resilience, is the social connections and support that we have in life.
New research finds that we tend to misjudge how much other people appreciate us reaching out to them.
In this kōrero with clinical psychologist Bronwyn Moth, learn more about how we can effectively strengthen our relationships, boost our resilience, and re-connect with the people that lift us up.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Leading reconnection: Care and communication when managing change with Dr Dougal Sutherland
Umbrella webinar and Q&A session I 28 Sept at 9.30am (updated)
Join Umbrella Chief Executive and clinical psychologist Dr Dougal Sutherland for this morning kōrero on change at work (whether it’s hybrid working, restructuring or M&A) and what this means for connecting, and re-connecting, with one another.
This session will be tailored for leaders and managers.
Dougal’s talk is inspired by personal reflections, having recently stepped into his new role at Umbrella, and evidence-based, psychology-led suggestions for getting the “re-connection” piece right. Some of the ingredients for success? Care, communication, and building cultures of collective wellbeing.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Building mentally healthy workplaces through the power of conversation
Free webinar and Q&A / 29 September 2022 / 12.00 – 1.00pm
Join Dr Amanda Wallis as she briefly discusses the evidence base behind building mentally healthy workplaces, and the practical steps you can take to ensure that your wellbeing strategy puts the evidence – and therefore what’s best for your people – first. Amanda is also joined by Umbrella organisational psychologist Kate Milburn, and special guest James McCulloch, Chief Executive at Victim Support NZ. James will share his experience with building organisational wellbeing through good conversation, and the journey he is on with Umbrella to accurately assess and promote wellbeing at Victim Support.
We look forward to seeing you there and joining us for a Q&A at the end of the session.
UMBRELLA TRAINING AND SUPPORT OPTIONS
Mental Health Awareness: an introduction / For all staff
Investment: $1650 (+GST)
1 in 5 New Zealanders will experience mental illness in every year, at least 1 in 2 in their life time. This means wherever you work it is likely you’ll be in contact with someone who might be struggling.
Research demonstrates that increasing knowledge about mental health and pre-planning how you would start a conversation with someone you’re worried about helps improve confidence and competence to follow up. Creating a culture where people are comfortable talking about mental health at work helps to reduce stigma and increase the likelihood that people will access mental health support when they need it.
Session objectives:
- Understand mental health and mental illness – what’s the difference?
- Recognise how to spot signs of stress and distress in yourself and colleagues.
- Learn useful tips on how to have safe conversations about mental health.
Sessions are 60-90 minutes.
These are interactive, facilitated sessions delivered in person or online. In order to support this interactive style, our sessions are limited to 12 people for online sessions, and 30 for in person sessions.
“Thanks so much for organising this! I’ve been to a few stress related workshops by now but none of them were so well presented and entertaining as this one. Would love to see more material by Umbrella.”
Proactive wellbeing strategies are known to deliver an average ROI of 5:1 for organisations through retaining top talent, increasing productivity, lifting individual performance, and supporting people to live happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives. Great strategies are based both on data and people insights. Getting comprehensive and reliable data is key to ensuring that your wellbeing strategy improves outcomes for your people and your business.
Our team works with organisations to help understand their employee wellbeing needs and implement the strategy. We use expert tools as needed including:
- Measuring your people’s wellbeing (Umbrella Wellbeing Assessment)
- Developing your wellbeing strategy and implementation plan
- Reviewing your current wellbeing programme, policies and practices
- Conducting psychosocial risk assessments (aligned with ISO45003).
The Umbrella Wellbeing Assessment provides individual wellbeing reports and resources for each employee who completes it. Organisations have access to an interactive dashboard and comprehensive wellbeing report with insights into the unique wellbeing opportunities for the organisation.
Umbrella short training sessions are designed to raise awareness, spark conversations, and provide participants with practical tips for action.
All sessions are 90 minutes, and can be delivered in person or online. Investment $1650 (+GST) per group.
- STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE: AN INTRODUCTION
- MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS: AN INTRODUCTION
- SHIFTING THE FRANTIC
- BOOSTING WELLBEING IN REMOTE AND DISPERSED TEAMS
- RESILIENCE DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES
- FLOURISHING: THE POWER OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
These are interactive, facilitated sessions delivered in-person or online. In order to support this interactive style, our sessions are limited to 12 people for online sessions, and 30 for in-person sessions. These topics are also available as conference presentations or webinars (not interactive).
What our clients say about these sessions:
“It’s invaluable to feel the support that’s there from a professional and innovative organisation.”
“Umbrella presented some interesting material and created a positive space for discussion. I felt connected with the other attendees and got a lot out of it personally.”
“I really like the evidence based combination of brain science and practical strategies.”
“Always love Umbrella sessions and always find them hugely beneficial in my professional and personal life.”
“Very pragmatic and applicable. Good framing of psychological understandings.”
Practical Resilience at Work course in Auckland
in partnership with Kāpuhipuhi Wellington Uni-Professional Courses
$795.00 + GST per person
Resilience is not only a critical factor in our success in the workplace and in relationships, but is fundamental to our wellbeing in the long term. Developed from best practice and scientific research, this workshop will equip you with the practical tools to build resilience in both your professional and personal roles.
“I attended the above course last week and thought it was superb. For a start, it reminded me that I’m actually doing pretty well in many areas (which was very affirming in its own right) but it also gave me a several areas where I could work on – and some very practical tips for doing so.”
This workshop is interactive and employs a range of learning styles. You will have the opportunity to try out some of the resilience tools during the workshop.
You will receive a copy of I’ve Had it Up to Here: From Stress to Strength by clinical psychologist Gaynor Parkin.
Course modules:
- Improving recovery to stress
- Review of skills and strategies to improve resilience
- Establishing effective habits for improving physical and mental wellbeing
- Flexible thinking and optimism – how to think straight even when work is hectic
- Skills for managing strong emotion under pressure
- Better recovery from work
- Maintaining resilient habits – how to turn good intentions into regular habits
- Wellbeing tools to boost your happiness and life satisfaction
Articles
“No man (or woman) is an island”: Mates and beyond
When caring comes at a cost I Empathy
Feeling connected when working remotely
Starting a wellbeing conversation with dispersed teams
Keeping the door open for wellbeing conversations
Why video calls are different from face-to-face meetings (and how to make them better)
How to talk about long working hours and help people shift their behaviour
Umbrella Articles – fresh thinking on mental health and wellbeing
Other resources:
Mental Health Foundations MHAW page
“Leading reconnection at work”
Webinar and Q&A with Dr Dougal Sutherland
28 Sept at 9.30am (updated)
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Learn more about top work and non-work factors that are influencing your people’s wellbeing.

We work with clients throughout New Zealand, and our team are based in Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga.
PO Box 23 004, Wellington
P: 0800 643 000
E: office@umbrella.org.nz
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