Mel Abbott Empower Therapies

02/05/2026

Sign up today and join thousandas of others who have gotten their life back ✨
https://empowertherapies.co.nz/pages/the-switch

29/04/2026

Proof that recovery is possible! ✨

Watching these stories from our Wellington Switch reunion reminds us why we do what we do. From overcoming chronic conditions to reclaiming daily joy, these legends are living proof that the body and mind can find their way back to balance.

Ready to start your own chapter? We have two Switch courses coming up:
🌻 MAY - 19th, 20th and 22nd
🌻 JUNE - 22nd, 23rd and 25th

Read more & sign up here: https://empowertherapies.co.nz/pages/the-switch

28/04/2026

Save this. Your future self will thank you 💙🙌

26/04/2026

Last chance!! Discounts are available if you've done any of our paid webinars or other courses - message us or email info@empowertherapies.co.nz and we'll send you a link 💙

24/04/2026

On ANZAC day, I have always shared excerpts from a WW1 journal that I transcribed many years ago because i like to remember ANZAC by thinking about what people went through and how they felt (the psychologist in me). And yet, my own Grampy was a Lancaster pilot in WW2 and I knew so little about his experiences and never shared them.

That all changed last year!

I did HUGE amounts of research and learnt about all 16 ops that Grampy did, read many accounts of what it was like to be a pilot in the war, the hardships they suffered, the emotional toll that it took on them, the historical context of his missions etc. I created a 90 page book for my family with all the stories and photos of his time at war, and yesterday, I inspired 100 students at my old school to find out more about their great grandparents war efforts.
Here is a 4- minute excerpt from my talk yesterday about the most exciting thing I found out about Grampy...

HE BLEW UP HITLER'S HIDEAWAY!!!

And it just happened to be on 25 April 1945, so it's particularly poignant to be talking about it today!

I never knew he did that. How phenomenal that my own Grampy was selected for this wild mission 4 days before the end of the war!

24/04/2026

I had an EPIC day today!!

I went back to my old school to do a presentation about my grampy's time as a Lancaster pilot in the war. So fun to be teaching a totally different topic than my usual chronic illness recovery talks, and extra fun that my debating coach happened to be there with his history class. He was the one who really got me going on the public speaking that is so important in my job.
The kids got really into it and loved the quizzes I set up for them, the movies of Lancaster footage and the really personal stories I shared about my grampy's time in the war. My main theme was to get them to explore "what was it like to be only 3 years older than you now and be going to war? "

The kids and the teachers thanked me a lot for the talk, and said they were so inspired to find out more about their own family's war stories. Then I enjoyed lunch in the staff dining room (much better than the food I used to eat in the student dining room!), and I met up with my fave geography teacher who was a real mentor to me. I'm still buzzing now! Partly cos I love public speaking and I we very excited by this topic, but also because it makes me so happy to be back at my old school. I could feel my body looping back into neural networks that I had when I was a student. Just as trauma can be reactivated by being back in an old environment, so can delight and positivity!

Tomorrow, on Anzac day itself, I'll share a couple of Grampy stories...

20/04/2026

An amazing review from someone who did The Switch Webinar Series last year. We start a new round this Wednesday and you can join any time before the end of next week! Comment 'Recovery' if you'd like us to send you more info ✨

20/04/2026

The Switch - 3-month follow-up!

A lady who has had CFS for 20 years said "CFS is a thing of the past". She has just been overseas on holiday, walking everywhere, and never even thought about fatigue. She is still dealing with occasional vertigo flares so we discussed how to eliminate that, but at least the CFS is OVER!

A girl with such bad knee pain that she would be in tears from it said she now dances 6-7 hours per week with no pain at all, did an adventure inflatable course without any fear of hurting her knee and is planning to do lots of skiing this winter!

Another lady attended for migraines, anxiety and fatigue. She said "I feel like my old self again!" She's back into all her exercise - 400 km around the hills in one month! 20km in one day! And she hasn't taken any painkillers since the course when she used to take them everyday.

And another attended for anxiety and low self-esteem. She's had a great first quarter of the year at work and felt calm and confident. And hasn't taken panadol for muscle relaxants at all. However, it sounds like she still has as bit of a prediction running that the year could still go downhill from here, so we talked about how she can use The Switch to change those predictions and fuel up her self-confidence so that she can continue with the great year that she has started.

The next two course dates are 19th May and 22nd June, so jump in to secure your spot!

https://empowertherapies.co.nz/pages/the-switch

19/04/2026

A little update from my post the other day…

After spending time calling people who had applied for The Switch years ago, something really special has started to unfold.

Eight people felt re-inspired, re-engaged, and have now moved back onto the active application list.

Eight.

After being stuck… some for years… they’re now taking steps forward again.

And one of those people has already completed the pre-course workbook, sent in her application, and is keen to proceed ASAP!

That means there is at least one life that’s about to change very soon… and potentially several more right behind her.

And honestly — that makes every single one of those phone calls feel so worthwhile.

Because sometimes, life happens, fear creeps in, timing feels off, or they get stuck in that in-between place of wanting change but fearing that nothing will work.

And sometimes… all it takes is a little nudge at the right moment.

So if you read my last post and felt something… and then carried on scrolling…

Maybe this is your second nudge.

Things don’t change on their own — but they can change very quickly when you decide to step in.

The next Switch course starts 18th May, and applications are open.

If you’re ready, you can go straight here:
https://empowertherapies.co.nz/products/the-switch-application

Or if something still feels like it’s holding you back, you’re always welcome to reach out and have a chat. Sometimes that’s the step that changes everything.

It's great that you are keen to do The Switch®! The vast majority of my clients report fabulous results, as well as really enjoying the course. I’m looking forward to helping you to get your life back! Note: Signing up does not guarantee a particular course date. You must do pre-course preparatio...

17/04/2026

A reminder that healing happens every single day ☀️

16/04/2026

An uplifting story from this week…

When people apply for The Switch, a few different things can happen.

Some people come straight through — they do their assessment, start the course, and their lives begin to change.

Others go onto our waiting list. We follow up for a while with emails and calls… but if we don’t hear back, their application eventually gets put to the side.

This week, I decided to do something a bit different.
I started calling people who applied years ago but never came through.

Some of those calls were amazing — people who are now fully better, living great lives, and don’t need the course anymore.
Honestly… that is the BEST outcome. I love hearing that.

But others… are still in exactly the same place they were 2–3 years ago.

And that’s hard to hear.

Because that’s years of life… still on hold.
Years of opportunities missed.
Years of things not changing.

The beautiful part, though, was that quite a few of these people were genuinely so pleased to hear from me again.
You could feel a spark of hope come back.

A few even said they had just been talking this week about reaching out again… and then I called them out of the blue.

How cool is that.
Sometimes life really does give you a nudge.

So I’m really hopeful that some of these people are about to step forward and create a completely different trajectory for themselves.

And it got me thinking…

If you’ve been following this page for a long time…
If you’re still feeling stuck…
If nothing much has changed…

Is this your nudge?

Because as simple as it sounds —
if nothing changes, nothing changes.

And if something in you feels stuck or hesitant about taking that next step, that’s okay too.
You don’t have to figure it out alone.

You’re very welcome to call us on 09 950 6295 or send an email and just talk it through. Sometimes a quick conversation is all it takes to get past that hurdle.

And if you’re already feeling ready — maybe this post is your moment — you can go straight to the application here:

https://empowertherapies.co.nz/products/the-switch-application

The next course starts 18th May, so it’s a really good time to jump in.

It's great that you are keen to do The Switch®! The vast majority of my clients report fabulous results, as well as really enjoying the course. I’m looking forward to helping you to get your life back! Note: Signing up does not guarantee a particular course date. You must do pre-course preparatio...

15/04/2026

We've got a bunch of courses coming up in the next few months! Book early to make sure you don't miss out. Comment which course you're interested in if you'd like us to DM you more info 🌻

Or you can always reach out to us at info@empowertherapies.co.nz or call us 09 950 6295.

Specialising in chronic illness recovery. Over 80% success rates. Treating the underlying cause to allow natural healing. Find out more. Free 45 minute webinar