Serving Motueka a homecoming for RISE Clinician

“The only way we are going to break the cycles of violence – which have become kind of a little bit normalised in some parts of society – is through education – which is what I enjoy about RISE.”

Serving the Motueka community feels like a homecoming for RISE Clinician Michelle Thurlow.

Michelle first came to Motueka for a music course at Te Awhina Marae as a 16-year-old who was disengaged with school, staying until she was 21.

“When I moved here as a teenager I was really supported by the community. It was a whole wrap around experience really,” Michelle says. “So, to come back now my children have left home, feels like I’ve gone full circle, and I’ve come home. I’m excited to give back to the Motueka community.”

Michelle has a background in working in social services and care jobs. “I think I was born to do that kind of work. It fills my cup.”

She has a degree in social work from NMIT and prior to RISE worked as a case manager at SASH (Sexual Abuse Sexual Healing) in Nelson.

In Australia she worked in mental health, as a case manager in a domestic violence shelter and for an indigenous organisation helping people maintain their social housing tenancies.

At RISE she works with women and co-facilitates a dad’s group.

She is excited about working at RISE, it’s client-led way of working, and the opportunities it presents to work more deeply with clients.

“I like working in the trauma space because I believe in people,” Michelle says. “This role for me is about facilitating a space for clients to explore ideas, make connections and recognise their strengths.

“I want to empower people to learn to love themselves and have value in life.”

She also enjoys using her skills to share ideas/concepts in a useful way that clients can understand without it being too academic or hard.

“The only way we are going to break the cycles of violence – which have become kind of a little bit normalised in some parts of society – is through education – which is what I enjoy about RISE.”

Building trust and connection is vital to her work.

“I like to share. From an indigenous perspective for me, culturally, that is important. Working in Motueka – where it is a smaller community, I find taking the time to build trust - rather than just going in with lots of paperwork – I like to make people feel they know me a little bit too. Whanaungatanga is massive for me.

Ensuring clients have a positive when they come to RISE is a vital part of her work, RISE Clinician Michelle Thurlow says.

“I like people to have an experience where they feel valued whether it is the right time for them to engage or not. I will do my best to make them feel safe so they can start their journey for themselves.”

Michelle has Aboriginal whakapapa and knows first-hand about the trauma that loss of identity can have on both individuals and whānau. Women and men who have experienced violence can also struggle with identity loss, she says.

“It’s about remembering who they are – their core values and connecting with that.”

Michelle has an interest in systems theory and says the relationship a client has with their clinician is critical in helping people make changes, especially those who have experienced trauma or had a negative experience with a government or NGO. Ensuring clients have a positive experience when they come to RISE is therefore a vital part of her work.

“I like people to have an experience where they feel valued whether it is the right time for them to engage or not. I will do my best to make them feel safe so they can start their journey for themselves.

“It’s really inspiring working with people and just seeing them have those light-bulb moments. For me as a clinician that’s kind of what it is all about.”