What They Say About What We Do
We have presented the Internal Strength program across sector, industry, and social strata:
Gagau Annadale-Stone
Regional Commissioner
Ministry of Social Development
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Hearing from someone like him has turned around some of the clients into believing in themselves.
Paul is open and authentic, and very generous in his account of his personal struggle and he has an intuitive approach.
Hearing from someone like him has turned around some of the clients into believing in themselves.
After completing his programme, people are actively working on things that have held them back in the past, they’re getting into training and employment. They’re becoming positive part of their whānau and community.
I value our partnership with Paul and have extended our commitment to the fantastic and important work he does for the Ministry of Social Development for another two years.
Paul’s presentation to the group was insightful, relatable and inspirational.
Paul delivered a very powerful message that early intervention is the key to recovery and was able to convey his own personal message of recovery to the audience.
We were delighted to have Paul join us for this day and to help to us raise a very important topic in the workplace openly and honestly.
Mark Coyne
Executive Director,
EML
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Paul was well organised, and he communicated his message extremely well.
Our students were very engaged, and this was largely down to the fact that Paul was prepared to put himself in a vulnerable position by including his own personal experiences. This allowed the students to open up and engage more freely with him. His course was extremely well structured.
The feedback we have received from our students is, generally speaking, that Paul “was amazing”, that they learned a lot and that they left the course feeling “very motivated”. As staff we feel that they all have gained very valuable skills moving forward. We would certainly use Paul again, as we feel many students would benefit from what Paul has to offer in his course.
We are proud of the work we do, because it produces results & changes lives.
I have had the good fortune to witness Paul Whatuira present and to also work alongside him in the NRL Wellbeing and Education Community.
Paul’s presentations deliver a unique and powerful blend of courage and vulnerability.
His narrative story-telling is calm, clear, articulate and engaging. What is surprising is how his delivery has the capacity to exquisitely evoke compassion, empathy, love, inspiration and gratitude in all his listeners.
Judy Fitzgerald
National Rugby League
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They engaged fully in the workshops and have since been talking about Paul’s steps to internal strength with friends and whānau.
The young men were thrilled to meet Paul, hear his story and gain some tools to help their own pathways to mental good health. They engaged fully in the workshops and have since been talking about Paul’s steps to internal strength with friends and whānau.
Paul is a highly engaging speaker. His story is high impact, is not sugar coated and he has not minimized his actions. The darkness of depression was calmly talked through in a way that his audience could understand, could relate to, and he made the difficult disconnection from reality that he experienced understandable for his teenage audience. This open and frank introduction to himself showed his growth and ability to move forward with his life, and made his delivery of the programme authentic, engaging, and inspiring.
I highly recommend Paul to any other schools looking to support some of their most vulnerable young men. We must always strive for better, so this type of initiative is invaluable.
Grace Wright
Deputy Principal
Hutt Valley High School (HVHS)
