During her postgraduate study, Ayra Richmond took the type of advice on self-care and seeking support that she now shares with clients at Explore Hāpainga Ora, the specialist disability and health services centre where she works.
After juggling multiple roles in the health services with study and raising a preschooler, Ayra is graduating with a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Psychology Practice from Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
While studying, she has worked over the years as a mental health support worker, a youth worker for a school for people with disabilities, a teacher aide, an early childhood educator, and a behaviour therapist—and now joins Explore as a registered educational psychologist.
Ayra says balancing her many commitments was not easy,but says she credits this achievement to a supportive network.
“I think what really helped was I had my own village. It’s not a typical village of support but I had my husband and my amazing daycare teachers, helping with my son and I learned to ask for help from my siblings or my aunt, mother-law and friends when I needed it, especially on weekends when I needed to do my assignments.”
These included assignments that critically examined the knowledge, skills, and professional identity that define effective educational psychology practice in Aotearoa New Zealand and apply to her new work addressing neurodiverse conditions such as autism in children and supporting them and their families.
Through this, Ayra developed a growing understanding of how educational psychology applies beyond traditional education settings.
She observes that increased awareness of neurodivergent experiences has seen a positive shift in recent years.
“That awareness is a very good change, as there are more people needing help and their behaviour is their way of communicating unmet needs,” she says.
Her training has equipped Ayra to not just work with people of all ages, but support the systems around them, including families, educators and residential services. It also highlighted for her the importance of understanding behaviour within broader family, cultural, organisational, and community contexts, which has been particularly relevant in her current work within disability and health services.
“It’s rewarding to make a difference in this way, as you become part of people’s lives and hear their stories.”
The demands of study and work have helped Ayra recognise her own need for self-care, which she chooses to get from high-intensity fitness programme CrossFit.
“For me, working out is my self-care time. It’s a time where I can only think about myself, not work or being a mum.
“I’m very thankful for the team who supported me at Victoria, especially in our cohort as there were other students that were parents too. I really appreciated the understanding of our need to balance work and life.”
Dr Jonathan Moore, a lecturer in Educational Psychology at Te Herenga Waka, notes that Ayra’s qualification responds to a growing need for more people in their profession.
“Ayra's story speaks directly to this need, and to the value of vocational university programmes that don't just build knowledge but create clear pathways to meaningful employment,” he says.
“Ayra graduates not only with a qualification, but with professional registration and the skills to make a difference in the lives of children, families, and educational facilities.”