Jaimee (Social Services Manager)

Jaimee Thompson is the Social Services Manager at Manchester House, with a long background in mental health, community services, and leadership across both NGO and government settings.Her experience spans frontline crisis work, inpatient and community mental health, therapeutic practice, addictions services, and service management. She has worked alongside individuals, families, and communities, and has led teams delivering practical, people-centered support in complex environments. Outside of work, Jaimee is a wife, a mother of four, and an artist, with creativity at the heart of how she lives and works.

Sarah (Social Worker)
Sarah is a registered Social Worker who has 11 years experience  in care and protection, youth justice and emergency accommodation. She is also a trained TRIPLE P facilitator and offers TRIPLE P in both individual and group settings. She works with children and young people as well as parents. An area of interest is working with parents and children who have special needs and helping to navigate the health and education system. She is a great advocate and will journey alongside clients. As a mother of 4 children she understands that parenting comes with a lot of challenges and is here to listen and offer advice to anyone that comes through the door at Manchester House.
She looks forward to working and meeting with you.

Monica (Social Worker)
Monica graduated from Massey University with a Masters (applied) in Social Work in November 2020 and brings to her role at Manchester House over 20 years experience in the fields of social work, education and community cohesion. Monica is passionate about what matters to her clients and walking alongside them in their journey and experience at Manchester House. Her practice is strengths based, client centric and thoroughly wholehearted. Monica has lived in New Zealand for the last 11 years with her husband and three daughters, has an affinity for the ocean as a space of balance, and a sincere appreciation for coffee.

Karl (Counsellor)

Karl enjoys forming trusted working relationships across cultural boundaries, building rapport with people of all ages and helping marginalised members of the community find their voice and express their needs. Karl is competent in person-centered counselling, narrative therapy and cognitive and behavioral approaches. He mainly uses acceptance and commitment therapy. He considers it a privilege to help clients uncover, recognise, cultivate and celebrate their abilities to face daily challenges.  

Priyanthi (Counsellor)

Priyanthi has a Bachelor of Counselling from Bethlehem Tertiary Institute, Tauranga. She works with a person-centred, holistic and strengths-based approach, utilising Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Narrative Therapy. As a counsellor, Priyanthi strives to be culturally safe, treating you with respect, maintaining confidentiality, listening to your story with care, being empathetic, and non-judgmental. “It will be an honour and privilege to journey with you, to support you to explore, understand, resolve and come to terms in a way that works for you with issues such as anxiety, anger, change, depression, grief, loss, stress or any other concerns.”

Some of the benefits of counselling you can experience are stress reduction, positive change in mood, improved communication skills, emotional balance, increased motivation, ability to set boundaries and lessen anxiety. Priyanthi has served the Palmerston North community for twenty-four years in various other capacities.

Sue (Financial Mentor)
Sue has a strong background in banking and a degree in Business Studies.  She has been with Manchester House for almost six years and enjoys seeing the change in people as they achieve their financial goals and obtain financial freedom