Breaking the Cycle

Helping people understand the past, take control of the present, and build a healthier future.

Many people carry the effects of difficult life experiences such as conflict in relationships, anger, rejection, disappointment, or unhealthy patterns learned over time. This course provides a safe and supportive environment where people can begin to understand these influences and learn practical ways to move forward.

Our goal is to help people build confidence, resilience, and healthier ways of responding to life’s challenges, leading to stronger relationships with family, whānau, and others.

We welcome and respect people from all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds, recognising the unique experiences each person brings.

Who Is This Course For?

This course is for adults who:

• Want to better understand their behaviour and emotional responses
• Are struggling with anger, conflict, or relationship challenges
• Want to break unhealthy patterns in their lives
• Are looking for practical ways to build healthier relationships and make positive life choices.

What You Will Learn

During the course participants learn practical skills such as:

• Understanding what triggers anger and strong emotions
• Healthy ways to manage anger and conflict
• Better communication and relationship skills
• How to recognise and respond to difficult emotions
• Building confidence and resilience
• Developing healthier thinking patterns and habits
• Strategies for maintaining positive long-term change.

Topics We Explore

The course looks at common life experiences that can influence behaviour, including:

• Experiences of abuse or being hurt by others
• Feeling rejected, abandoned, or manipulated
• Unmet expectations in relationships
• Fear, jealousy, or loss of control
• Feelings such as shame, guilt, grief, regret, or disappointment
• The need to control situations or people
• Overwhelming emotions that feel difficult to manage.

Understanding these influences can help people break unhealthy cycles and build healthier ways of living.

How the Course Works

• Weekly sessions over a number of weeks (6-8)
• Interactive learning with experienced facilitators
• Group discussions and shared learning
• Practical exercises that can be applied in everyday life
• Personal      support to help participants work through their own situations.

Why People Choose This Course

• A clear and practical approach to real-life challenges
• Experienced facilitators who genuinely care about people’s growth
• A respectful and supportive learning environment
• A      focus on long-term change, not just short-term solutions.

Is This Course Right for You?

This course may be helpful if you recognise some of these in your life:

• You find yourself reacting with anger more than you would like
• Conflict keeps appearing in your relationships
• You feel stuck in patterns you want to change
• Past experiences still affect how you respond today
• You struggle with feelings such as shame, rejection, guilt, or disappointment
• You want to become a better partner, parent, or role model
• You want practical tools to handle emotions and difficult situations more positively.
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You don’t have to face these challenges alone. Many people have found that taking time to understand themselves and learn new skills can lead to real and lasting change.

Enquire now about 2026 courses.

Courses run periodically throughout the year.

If you would like to know more about the Breaking the Cycle course or register your interest for the next intake, please contact us. We would be happy to talk with you and answer any questions.

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Thanks to Catalytic Foundation for funding these courses in 2026.

 Catalytic Foundation and The Dunbar Trust