WORKSHOP TRAINERS
Expert Educators and Youth Tutors
DR SUE BAGSHAW
GP
CATHERINE GALLAGHER
Clinical Psychologist
MICHAEL HEMPSEED
Professional Speaker
Dr Sue Bagshaw works as a primary care doctor specialising in adolescent/youth health at a one-stop community youth health centre for 10-25 year olds.
Sue helped set up the health centre, which is now under a new Trust called Korowai Youth Wellbeing Trust.
She is a senior lecturer in adolescent health in the department of Paediatrics at the Christchurch School of Medicine, and an expert Educator with The Collaborative Trust.
Sue is also working towards setting up a Youth Hub to provide housing, creativity, recreation and services provision to young people.
Catherine Gallagher is a clinical psychologist who has worked over the last 20 years in both the public and private sectors.
Although she has worked across different age groups, her particular focus has been children and young people.
She is currently the Clinical Practice Manager at START (a community based agency that supports children, youth and adults who have experienced sexual harm) alongside a private practice where she offers individual and family therapy with people of all ages, community education, and supervision.
Michael Hempseed is the director of Frontiers of Hope, a specialist mental health service. He is a co-author of the brand new book Calming Your Child, and author of Being a True Hero: Understanding and Preventing Suicide in your Community. Michael gained an honours degree in psychology from the University of Canterbury in 2008, ran school camps in the UK, and was a youth worker at 298 Youth Health. A highly sought after professional speaker, he delivers inspiring and informative seminars. Funny, full of enthusiasm and taking a genuine interest in people are all qualities that make Michael a captivating speaker.
SIMI DESOR
Registered Psychologist
ARI NICHOLSON
Gender & Sexuality Educator
TRACY CLELLAND
University Lecturer
Simi Desor is a registered Psychologist who works with individuals, children, families and groups in Christchurch.
Simi's approach is strength-based. She believes in being attentive to how the surrounding world and culture can affect us.
She also believes that an ecological approach gives a deeper understanding of many of the issues that arise in our lives.
Her areas of interest include: resilience, wellbeing, parenting skills, bereavement & grief, trauma, health psychology, diversity, equity and inclusivity.
Simi has a private practice, she offers workshops on a range of topics in the community and online, she has a radio programme (with podcasts), works part-time at a secondary school and is involved with victim support.
Ari has been a gender and sexuality educator for 10 years. They specialise in developing rainbow training and culture shift initiates, and are passionate about queer youth development and seeing the outcomes for rainbow communities improve.
They have a strong family focus, are a parent of a beautiful 9 year old, and engaged to their partner Leanne. They identify as; queer, gender diverse and uses they/them pronouns.
Alongside The Collaborative Trust, Ari is the Rainbow Advisor at the University of Canterbury and a facilitator for Restorative Justice Otautahi, supporting conversations between offenders and victims of crime.
Their past roles have included many years developing and supporting queer youth groups and working with Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse.
Tracey is an experienced university lecturer, skilled in pastoral care, effective pedagogy, facilitation skills, ITE Initial Teacher Education, and health and wellbeing theory and practice.
She is a strong education professional with a Master's in Education (distinction) and an extensive research portfolio. Tracey is currently researching parental engagement in relationship and sexuality education and is one of the writers of national resources in sexuality education.
She has extensive experience in developing, implementing and facilitating a range of tertiary-level papers in mental health education, sexuality education, models of health education, and critical issues in health education.
SHARON GARDNER
Psychologist & Researcher
WIREMU GRAY
Cultural Competency
TANIA HENDERSON
FASD Educator
Sharon Gardner (MA Clinical Psychology) is an experienced researcher having worked in academic and community research including working with children and young people.
Sharon moved to New Zealand in 2014 from India and has worked in medical research in particular meta-analyses with a strong focus on qualitative data at the University of Otago.
She has international experience working as a psychologist and researcher conducting psychological tests and managing research projects. She has extensive experience in data management and analysis and experience in conducting qualitative interviews.
In addition to providing her research expertise to The Collaborative Trust, she has used her research skills to create and run workshops on social media and its impact on youth.
Wiremu has been a Māori specialist counsellor for twenty years and has been a cultural and clinical supervisor for over six years. He assists NZAC counsellors to gain their cultural competencies as a requirement in gaining full membership through the New Zealand association of counsellors. Wiremu has also worked with adults and young people in NGOs and high school settings.
In the last few years he has delivered presentations at national Positive Education conferences, with a bicultural wellbeing model he developed called Te Whare Mauri Ora.
He provides cultural competency training in a range of settings; St John of God Waipuna, 298 Youth health team, Haeata Community Campus, Hillmorton High School, Cashmere High School, Riccarton High School, as well as a range of other kura and NGOs.
Tania has worked extensively in health and community well-being service roles, supporting at-risk, high-needs whānau and working with Māori organisations that are whānau-focused.
Her main focus since 2012 has been on FASD education and support for individuals with FASD. She has delivered education on FASD in multiple workshops and courses such as within the Tikanga Mātua Te Ao Māori Parenting Programme and workshops in schools for those working with FASD tamariki and rangatahi.
She contributed to the Northern Region FASD Strategic Plan and as a panel member to the development of the NZ National FASD Training Tool (developed by Te Pou o te Whakaaro Nui) to ensure it included tikanga practices, and subsequently ran the first of the Frontline Professional FASD Training Tool workshops.
ATARAU DOIG
Youth Tutor
BRONWYN MOORE
Doctor
ALEX MICHEL-SMITH
Educator
Atarau is entering her third year of university in 2023, studying a Bachelors of Health Science, double majoring in Society and Policy, and Māori and Indigenous Health at Te Whare Wānanga ō Waitaha. She was elected the 2023 academic Representative of Health for Te Akatoki, the Māori Association of the University of Canterbury.
Atarau is passionate about Māori health and rights, and uses her expansive knowledge of Te Ao Māori as she navigates personal and academic life. Hobbies include being bad at poi even though she has been part of Kapa Haka ever since she could walk, falling off her skateboard, and having pink hair.
Bronwyn is a Fellow of the College of Sexual and Reproductive Health and sits on their Board since 2022. She is a doctor at Family Planning, joining in 2007. At Family Planning she is the Southern Region Family Violence Champion and a Long Acting Contraception Trainer. Bronwyn studied medicine at the University of Otago. She is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago. Bronwyn was a workshop presenter at the New Zealand Trauma Conference in 2023. She has previously worked for 8 years at 298 Youth Health Centre which sparked her interest in the trauma field.
Alex Michel-Smith has been an educator with The Collaborative since 2018. She is passionate about all things relationships, sexuality and youth health.
In her time at The Collaborative she has worked with whānau around having tricky conversations with rangatahi, and with medical students around youth health.
When she is not working with The Collaborative she works with young people at Lincoln University.
JASMINE WHITE
Youth Tutor
MELISSA GRAHAM
Youth Tutor
LISA McLAREN
Youth Tutor
Jasmine White is passionate about education and awareness surrounding chronic pain.
This passion arose from experiences that she witnessed from her own diagnosis of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and throughout her battle with this.
She is excited to be working with The Collaborative Trust to bring change in this area as a Youth Tutor.
Mel (she/they) is a full-time student in her second year of study at the University of Canterbury. She hopes to use her studies to continue working with tamariki and rangatahi in the future, as she is passionate about advocating for young people. This year Mel will also be working as a live-in Residential Assistant for students entering their first year of university study, as well as providing swimming lessons to children two days a week.
Her interests are English, politics, and philosophy, and hobbies include board gaming and trumpet playing.
Lisa joined The Collaborative in 2020. In that time Lisa has engaged heavily in workshops around suicide prevention, understanding self-harm, preventing burnout, HEADSS, and rainbow diversity. With a study history of Social Work and Youth and Community Leadership under her belt, as well as personal experiences in mental health and oranga tamariki care, Lisa brings both an educated and personal insight into how these issues impact rangatahi and communities.
Lisa won the 2021 UC Blues Award for Outstanding Contribution to Equity and Diversity, which recognised Lisa’s work with The Collaborative Trust and UC. Lisa also has a piqued interest in social policy development, te reo Māori and tikanga.
LUCY BRADFORD
Youth Tutor
SARAH MATTHEWS
Youth Tutor
DORIAN GHOSH
Youth Tutor
Lucy Bradford is very passionate about mental health. She has been through her fair share of troubles and after coming out on the other side wants to help other people.
Lucy hopes to learn more and more about mental health as her journey continues.
Sarah is currently studying psychology and education at the University of Canterbury. She is extremely passionate about all aspects of mental health. With personal experience in the child and youth mental health system, Sarah has seen the gaps in this area and wants to make positive changes in the sector so young people get the support they need.
In her spare time she plays handball and spends lots of time being active. Sarah also works at Frontiers of Hope and is a youth worker at a local high school. And she recently published a book called My Mental Health Tool Kit: A Recovery Guide, which is full of resources she found beneficial in her own mental health journey.
Dorian (They/He) graduated from the University of Canterbury with a BA in English and Cultural Studies with specializations in Gender Studies and Maori and Indigenous Studies in 2022. They are currently tutoring first year papers in the same. Apart from that, they have worked as a curator for CEISMIC as well as helped create an audio trail of earthquake experiences around Christchurch. They have also served on the Equity and Wellbeing Advisory Board at the University of Canterbury Students Association and maintain a keen research interest in the performance of gender in everyday life, issues around queer trauma as well as gender identities in indigenous cultures.
ABBEY MACKIE
Youth Tutor
LIAM ALEXANDER
Youth Tutor
Abbey is studying Psychology at the University of Canterbury. She has a focus on social media youth work along with other subjects. The world of social media can be daunting, but it's not insuperable. Abbey brings both personal experience and education to the subject to provide a unique perspective. She aims to create a place for open communication and learning. Abbey has assisted in various workshops and looks forward to teaching and learning from those who join in.
Liam is studying a Bachelor of Health Science majoring in Psychology at the University of Canterbury, and working towards becoming a child and family psychologist. His areas of interest include; social media, youth mental health & wellbeing, anxiety & depression, ADHD.
He has a lot of experience with youth including; child care, coaching sports teams, mentoring at high school, and academic tutoring. Liam also volunteers for youthline as their social media coordinator. Very energetic and outgoing, he incorporates his education and previous experience into creating a supportive and exciting learning environment.