When Dale left South Africa for New Zealand, a casual role in residential services became an opportunity that would shape the rest of her career.
“If you had told me ahead of time that I would be working in mental health, I would’ve laughed you under the table.”
Before Dale studied and worked in mental health, she had no idea she had lived experience. Through learning, she realised her mother had a mental illness, something her whānau never recognised due to lack of understanding and support available at the time.
Reflecting on her childhood brings a wave of compassion and understanding. As a daughter who experienced life without the support systems available today, Dale often wonders how different things could have been for her mum and whānau.
“What I have come to realise about my mother is she did the best she knew how.”
This perspective has shaped both her life and career and strengthened her belief that empathy and understanding can profoundly change outcomes for individuals and their families. A residential role that she started by chance, soon became her calling.
Her greatest source of inspiration has always been the people she supports. Through her mahi, Dale has been exposed to people from all walks of life, each with their own challenges and recovery journeys. Seeing so many different circumstances has taught her that mental health is never one size fits all.
Understanding this fundamentally changed the way Dale works. Rather than seeing people as victims of their illness, she sees survivors navigating extraordinarily difficult circumstances. To her, meaningful support starts with a foundation of empathy, not sympathy. Seeing people recognise their own progress or gain confidence after setbacks and continue to thrive towards their goals brings her immense satisfaction.
She is currently working with elder adults as a support worker and loves it. Their resilience and optimism to keep going inspires her, the hope is contagious. When asked about her proudest moments, Dale quickly redirects to the people she supports. “I’m not fighting the good fight, tāngata whaiora are.”
Dale has a simple goal in her work: to make herself redundant in a client’s life. Being successful in her mahi means helping tāngata whaiora to develop confidence and life skills to thrive independently.
