FAQs

We offer flexible, expert guidance without the need for a referral or long waiting periods. Our focus is on consultation, assessments, triage, liaison and guidance, helping clients navigate the mental health system and connect with the right support.

There is no other service like this in Aotearoa. We connect you with expert mental health nurses with no referral barriers—we are bridging the gaps! Just high quality guidance whenever it’s needed.

Our consultations are not time-limited, and we are not bound by high call pressure or strict targets. We prioritise being available and affordable, ensuring you receive expert advice and also a continuity of service every time. Our focus is on providing quality, personalised guidance at a pace that suits your needs.

Our Scope of Practice

As mental health nurses, we provide professional assessments, guidance, and advice, and we are trained to offer nursing diagnoses based on recognised frameworks.

While we do not provide formal medical or psychiatric diagnoses, our assessments can play a valuable role in helping your GP or specialist make more informed diagnostic decisions. We focus on identifying patterns, concerns, and contributing factors that affect your mental health, and we can communicate these clearly in a way that supports collaborative care.

Our role is to help you understand what’s happening, offer evidence-informed advice, and guide you through the mental health system — including connecting you with the right professionals if further assessment or treatment is needed.

We acknowledge the profound effects that traumatic experiences can have on an individual's mental, physical, and emotional health. Our team possesses expertise in identifying the indicators and manifestations of trauma, and we are attuned to the challenges that people may encounter within conventional medical treatments for trauma.

We understand the complexities of trauma/depression/anxiety and other co existing disorders.

Referrals, Access & Finding the Right Path

We provide detailed mental health assessments that can form the foundation of a referral and help guide you toward the right kind of support.

While we don’t control access to specific specialists or services, our role is to offer clear, professional advice and help you understand your options. We’re here to point you in the right direction and support you in taking the next steps.

In many cases, a GP referral is still required. We’re happy to work alongside your GP, and you can also share our reports directly — they’re written to clearly outline your current needs and can be a powerful tool in opening doors to further support.

If one path isn’t available, we’ll help you find another. Our goal is to help you navigate the system with confidence, offering creative and flexible solutions when challenges arise. There is always a way forward — and we’re here to help you find it.

Yes — we’re happy to collaborate with your existing mental health team, including your GP, therapist, or specialist. With your consent, we can share our assessments, summaries, or recommendations to ensure everyone involved in your care is on the same page.

Our role is to complement the work of your current providers, not replace them. By working together, we can help create a more cohesive and coordinated support plan that reflects your needs and goals.

Yes — we can link in with your existing mental health team, including your GP, therapist, or other specialists — but only with your explicit permission.

All information sharing and coordination of care is done with your full consent, in line with privacy laws and your right to autonomy. We respect your choices at every step, and nothing is shared without your approval.

In most cases, your existing providers will require written consent before releasing any health-related information to us. They may also want reassurance that our systems meet the strict security and privacy standards required for handling sensitive health information.

We’re happy to provide this. Our systems are fully compliant with the New Zealand Privacy Act (2020), HIPAA, and GDPR, and we use secure, encrypted platforms for all communication, documentation, and storage.

By working together — securely and respectfully — we can help support continuity of care and make sure you feel well-supported throughout your mental health journey.

If you're experiencing a mental health crisis or feel at risk, please contact your local 24/7 crisis line for immediate support. While we offer professional guidance and assessments, we are not an emergency service and may not be able to respond right away.

📍 You can find your regional crisis team contact details here:
👉 info.health.nz/mental-health/crisis-assessment-teams

Mental Health Pathfinder is not a replacement for crisis services. In urgent or high-risk situations, we strongly encourage you to contact your local crisis team, GP, or emergency services (dial 111 in New Zealand). These services are equipped to provide rapid, in-person support when it's needed most.

Our clinicians have experience working within crisis teams and are well-equipped to identify when crisis services are necessary. If, during our engagement, we believe you need immediate intervention, we can support you in connecting with the appropriate crisis team.

However, if you are already in a crisis before engaging with us, we advise contacting your local crisis team directly for initial triage and support.

Your safety is always the priority.

We are fully compliant with the Nursing Council of New Zealand’s scope of practice. As mental health nurses, our role focuses on providing guidance, assessments, and referrals — always within our professional boundaries.

It’s important to note that we do not offer medical diagnoses, prescribe medication, or provide medical advice. Instead, we work collaboratively with GPs, psychiatrists, and other health professionals to support your care, especially in situations where safety or risk is a concern.

When high-risk issues arise, we do not work in isolation. We are required to involve your existing GP, psychiatrist, or care team to ensure you are receiving the appropriate level of oversight and support. In urgent or high-risk situations, we may also recommend or assist with referral to crisis services or emergency care, as needed.

Our priority is always to act safely, ethically, and in partnership with both clients and healthcare professionals — ensuring care is coordinated, appropriate, and grounded in best practice.

We strive to be as flexible and responsive as possible in meeting the needs of our clients. Our services are delivered via online consultations, making it easy to access support no matter where you're located in New Zealand.

Appointments are typically scheduled based on clinician availability, and we do our best to offer times that accommodate your schedule. If you have specific timing needs, we encourage you to get in touch — we're happy to work with you to find a suitable time.

That said, it's also important to be clear about our limitations:

• We are not a 24/7 service

• We do not provide ongoing treatment or therapy

• We are a resource — here to guide, assess, and connect you with the right supports

Our focus is on helping you understand your mental health needs, offering expert guidance, and assisting you in navigating the system to find the care that’s right for you.

Yes, our services are confidential. We take privacy and confidentiality very seriously and adhere to strict guidelines to ensure that all client information is protected.

The only occasion we would break confidentiality is in situations of high risk where there is no other way of mitigating the risk, such as immediate concerns about harm to oneself or others.

When calling about someone else, their privacy is our top priority. We ensure that any discussions remain anonymous until the person has consented to engage with our services. This means that no identifying information is shared or recorded until the individual agrees to participate in the consultation process.

We store client data securely and follow industry best practices to protect sensitive information. This includes using encrypted systems, limiting access to authorised personnel, and maintaining strict privacy protocols to ensure confidentiality. We utilise Carepatron’s platform, which is HIPAA-compliant, meaning it adheres to the highest standards for protecting health information.

HIPAA compliance ensures that all client data is encrypted both at rest and in transit, adding an extra layer of security to prevent unauthorised access. Additionally, only authorised team members have access to client data, and robust authentication procedures are in place to ensure privacy. We continuously update our security measures to meet regulatory standards and safeguard your information.