Peer Support may be defined as the help and support that people with lived experience of mental distress are able to give to one another.

It may be social, emotional or practical support but importantly this support is mutually offered and reciprocal, allowing peers to benefit from the support whether they are giving or receiving it.

Peer support is built on sharing of lived experience and empathy, it focuses on people's strengths, insights and capacity to improve mental health, wellbeing and resilience and reach personal and group goals.

Preparing for your first Anxiety NZ Peer Support Group

Consent and shared expectations

If you join the group, you will be asked to read, agree to, and sign a consent form. There are also group conduct guidelines to help keep the group respectful, confidential, and helpful for all members. This includes expectations about respect, inclusion, privacy, boundaries, and participation.

Confidentiality and privacy

We ask all members to keep what is shared in the group confidential and to protect each other’s privacy.

Distress and personal disclosures

From time to time, strong emotions and distress can arise in group. This can be part of the group process, and the facilitator will support the group to keep this in service of the group’s purpose. Sometimes a personal disclosure can offer opportunities for growth and learning for members, while still keeping the space safe and useful for everyone.

Contact outside the group

Anxiety NZ does not facilitate contact between group members outside group sessions. We kindly ask members not to form secondary group spaces based on Anxiety NZ group membership. This helps protect privacy, safety, and inclusion for everyone.

Data reporting (coded and confidential)

Anxiety NZ submits coded, confidential demographic data for reporting purposes, and your name is not shared. We may check in every 6 months about changes in areas such as housing, education, caregiver and support status, and whether a wellbeing plan is in place.

It is a non-clinical intervention for people experiencing mental distress (or other condition or issue) and based on a formal therapeutic relationship between peers (people who have experienced similar adversity). Our peer support group are regular gatherings of people with lived experience of anxiety.

One or two trained peer support specialists, who may also be clinicians, help to facilitate and all groups are held every two weeks. Group members share with one another about their experiences, challenges and insights into building wellbeing. The support group may act as an anchor as people focus developing skills to live well. A peer support group can help to free people from self-stigma and normalise the range of feelings and challenges that people experience, in a supported, respectful and hope-focused environment.

Grounded in the belief that people are their own greatest resource and that adverse life experiences can be sources of resilience and knowledge. 

• Draws on a shared understanding of recovery. 

• Focuses on what will sustain recovery – employment, reconnection with family/whānau, achievement and purposeful activities, as well as being included in communities. 

• Instils hope by being with someone who has been there and ‘through it’. 

• Not about ‘fixing things’ but building on strengths.

Frequently asked questions:

Do I have to talk?
No. You are welcome to share, and it’s also okay to listen. You can pass on any question or activity.

What happens if I feel overwhelmed during the session?
You can step out and take a break at any time. Your facilitator can point out the nearby waiting area or “safe zone” at the start of the session.

Are the groups confidential?
We ask members to keep what is shared in the group confidential and to protect each other’s privacy outside the group.

What if I see someone from the group in public?
You have no obligation to acknowledge them or say hello. This supports privacy and choice.

Can I contact other group members outside of group or add them online?
We ask members not to contact other group members outside group sessions and not to look one another up online. Anxiety NZ does not facilitate member contact outside group spaces.

Are there topics we should handle carefully?
Yes. Please be mindful if mentioning suicide, religion, politics, and medication. We ask people not to share detailed descriptions of violence or suicide, and not to give opinions or advice about religion, politics, or medication.  

Can I come to group after drinking alcohol or using drugs?
No. Please do not attend group intoxicated or under the influence of illicit drugs or alcohol.

Can I use my phone during the session?
Please put mobiles away during the session. If you need to take a call or respond to messages, step out of the room.

What if I miss sessions?
If someone is unable to come for three groups in a row (unless otherwise arranged), that space may be made available for someone else. You are welcome to get in touch about rejoining in the future.

How long can I stay in a peer group?
There is no set time limit on how long someone can remain in a group, as long as mental health support is needed, participation remains helpful and aligned with group expectations.

What if I’m worried about safety?
If there is immediate danger, call 111. You can also call or text 1737 any time for support.

• A sense of connection and participation 
• Increased self-esteem and self-confidence 
• A sense of purpose 
• A greater sense of wellbeing, including less symptom distress 
• Increases in the quality and number of relationships – greater social support network 
• Longer periods of wellbeing 
• Increased involvement in meaningful activities 
• Increased resilience and quality of life 
• Increased motivation to implement life changes.

There are a variety of Peer Support Groups that take place throughout the week. These are for people aged 18 years +. You must be a resident of Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau.

Our Peer Support Groups are provided for free. They are a Health NZ - Te Whatu Ora funded service provided by Anxiety NZ Trust.

Peer Group referrals are welcomed from people aged 18 years and over, living in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, who are eligible for publicly funded healthcare, and who are experiencing anxiety. A formal diagnosis of an anxiety disorder isn’t required. You can visit Getting publicly funded health services | New Zealand Government (www.govt.nz) to find out more. To refer you can visit Referrals | Anxiety NZ for information on referring to the Peer Group.

Before joining the group, a Triage Lead will get in touch to arrange a time to talk with you, to answer questions about the group, check-in with how you are feeling, and help to identify if a peer group environment would be appropriate and a helpful next step for you. If the group of choice is full, we may offer for you to go on a waiting list until a space becomes available. A Peer Group facilitator will then be in touch to welcome you to group.

People can be in one Peer Group at a time, however, may request 'trialling' another group for up to two sessions, if space is available.

If you join the group, there will be a consent form to read, agree to, and sign. There are group conduct guidelines to help keep it a respectful, confidential, and helpful space for all members.

Learning about being in a Peer Support Group is important to help get the most out of the experience, benefit from group experiences, allow for discomfort as a learning experience where helpful, contribute and respond in a respectful way to a range of people's life experiences, identifies, and viewpoints that may not always match your own. Bring part of a space that values curiosity, exploration and open-mindedness to learn, try out new skills and ways of being that work for you to grow your wellbeing, and reach the goals you have.

Anxiety NZ also submits coded, confidential demographic data to the Ministry of Health. This includes smoking/vaping, housing, education, caregiver and support status, and if a wellbeing plan is in place. If you don’t have a wellbeing plan, we can help you with one. Every 6 months we will ask about changes in these areas.

If you would like to finish your Peer Group experience or can no longer come to the group regularly, please let us know. We may be able to assist with a referral to other services or help connect you with resources to support in maintaining your health and wellbeing. If someone is unable to come for three groups in a row (unless otherwise arranged), we will make that space available for another person to join in their place. There is no limitation on how long a person can be in the group and previous group members are welcome to get in touch about re-joining in the future.

“Anxiety NZ’s Peer Support Group helps to keep me connected with the things I value. One of the best things is truly knowing I’m never alone in how I feel. Making time for activities that have a positive impact on my health and wellbeing has made a huge difference to how I feel."

“I was pretty nervous, and it was a big effort to get myself to the first group. For ages I felt a huge amount of anxiety around other people and mostly just avoided social stuff where I could. This made Uni, work, and making friends that weren’t online, really tough. In the group I learnt so much about getting my mental wellbeing in shape and why my social anxiety was trying to help me out – but doing it in an unhelpful way!"

"I did work hard to actually practice the skills my peers recommended, and they do work! Now I work with my anxiety, and make it work for me, so I’m doing the things I actually want to do and avoiding much less stuff. I highly recommend being brave and getting support.”

Peer Group Agreement

What happens to your information guide