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Transgender mental health

There are many counselling and mental health services, support networks, and resources available for our transgender community and their whānau.

If you need urgent help

If there is any concern for your safety, or someone's else's safety, seek help from mental health services. 

Counselling and mental health services

Stigma and discrimination can stop people from reaching out for support. Counsellors or mental health professionals can help you manage any distress you feel. 

If you want to know more about mental health provider, you can contact one of the following services, or check with your healthcare provider for a referral. 

Transgender peer support service — OUTline Aotearoa (external link)

Accessing mental health services — Mental Health Foundation (external link)

Who else can help — depression.org.nz (external link)

Support networks

Gender affirmation or transitioning can involve many changes in a person's life. 

Finding an understanding person to share the experience with can help you get through any worries. 

It is common to feel isolated, to feel like you are the only person who has had to face barriers or concerns. But there are many networks and people in our everyday community who are happy to introduce or link others to peer support networks. 

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  • Provides support, advocacy, and education for LGBTQIA+ people of colour, particularly South Asians, in Aotearoa.

    Adhikaar Aotearoa

  • A website and campaign that aims to support the parents and whānau of trans, non-binary, takatāpui, queer, intersex, and rainbow young people to be more inclusive, affirming and safe.

    Be There

  • The first community report from the Counting Ourselves survey about the health and wellbeing of trans and non-binary people in Aotearoa New Zealand.

    Counting Ourselves Community Report

  • A Pasifika organisation in Auckland providing services and Whānau Ora navigation support to Pasifika MVPFAFF+ / LGBTQI+, Rainbow and Queer people and their families in Auckland.

    F’INE

  • Gender affirming healthcare service in Napier.

    Gendercare

  • Primary mental health and addictions service in Bay of Plenty and beyond for the trans, gender diverse and non-binary population across the lifespan. Individual, whānau, group, and online support provided by licensed clinicians and peer support specialists with lived experience.

    Gender Dynamix

  • Peer-led organisation. They provide national services and an information database.

    Gender Minorities Aotearoa

  • Hauora Tāhine - Pathways to Transgender Healthcare Services is the collective name for a number of secondary services that provide gender affirming healthcare for transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people.

    Across the Auckland Region, the 2 main service providers are:

    • Centre for Youth Health for young people and adolescents
    • Auckland Regional Sexual Health Service for adults.

    These 2 services have multiple clinics across Auckland. They provide support around exploration of gender and medical affirmation, family and whānau support, puberty blockers, hormone therapy and referral for other gender affirming health care.

  • Canterbury-specific gender affirming care and support services.

    Healthinfo Waitaha (Canterbury)

  • Transgender medicine is concerned with people who experience gender incongruence or dysphoria and associate themselves with the gender opposite to which they were born with. 

    Transgender medicines in Tauranga — Healthpages

  • Provides information on local trans services by region, with a focus on rural New Zealand.

    I'm Local

  • A national organisation making schools a safer place for all young people of minority sexualities, sexes and genders.

    InsideOUT

  • How New Zealand schools can support trans and other rainbow students.

    Inclusive Education

  • Provides a social service in the Manawatu which affirms and empowers gay, lesbian intersex, transgender people and their family and whānau and significant others.

    MALGRA

  • Ōtautahi Christchurch based group for Māori LGBTQIA+ young people.

    Mana Tipua, Mana Ora

  • Resources on mental health and wellbeing.

    Mental Health Foundation

  • Focuses on Māori, Pasifika and Takatāpui Rainbow+ mental health by creating safe spaces for people. It “exists to support the holistic wellbeing of individuals, whānau and aiga who are Takatāpui or Pasifika Rainbow+ communities”.

    Nevertheless

  • Dedicated to providing a safe environment for participants who identify as “MVPFAFF+, Takatāpui and LGBTQiA+ of the Moana.” To raise awareness of gender-diverse needs, to provide knowledge based on gender identity, and to provide assistance to other organisations that work with Pacific rainbow children, youth, and adults. We take a more culturally inclusive approach to ensure that our participants retain their cultural identity and practices.

    Ngā Uri o Whiti Te Rā Mai Le Moana Trust

  • OutLine is an all-ages rainbow mental health organisation providing support to the rainbow community, their friends, whānau, and those questioning. We provide a nationwide, free and confidential 0800 support line for people who want to speak to a trained volunteer from the rainbow community. We also provide specialist rainbow counselling and an Auckland based trans and non-binary peer support service.

    OutLine

  • The Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA) is an interdisciplinary professional organisation working to promote the health, wellbeing and rights of transgender people.

    PATHA

  • Qtopia is an advocacy, social change, and social support service for the whole LGBTQIA+ rainbow community, based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, and working throughout Waitaha Canterbury and Te Waipounamu the South Island.

    Qtopia

  • A by-youth, for-youth charitable organisation dedicated to providing support, advocacy, information and education for queer and trans youth and their friends, family & whānau, schools, workplaces, and wider communities. We are committed to safety and work with the community to make the Nelson/Tasman region a safe place to grow up LGBTQIA+.

    Q-Youth

  • Provides support for rainbow people within the Waikato/Hauraki region. We strive to empower spaces for people to celebrate who they are, through positive, identity-affirming community building, fun and friendships.

    Rainbow Hub Waikato

  • A peer support and advocacy group for the rights of rainbow refugees and asylum seekers living in Aotearoa.

    Rainbow Path

  • An organisation that supports gender-diverse young people in New Zealand.

  • A Wellington takatāpui community group which welcomes people of diverse sexualities and gender identities.

    Tīwhanawhana

  • Provides sexual and reproductive health education for Pasifika youth in Auckland. Their Rainbow Fale supports Pasifika Rainbow young people through diversity groups, mentoring, and events.

  • A national initiative that works to make communities, environments and systems more safe and inclusive for rainbow people. Te Ngakau Kahakura works collaboratively with proffwssionals, organisations and wider systems that support people across Aotearoa, including health, housing, social, education and justice.

    Te Ngākau Kahukura

  • Capital and Coast

    Gender affirming services

    Tairawhiti

    Hormone therapy

    Waikato

    Sexual health

    MidCentral

    Gender affirming care

    West Coast

    Gender affirming healthcare
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