Participant Information Sheet
18 May 2020
Project Title:
“Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Pasifika academics, who overcame adverse
childhood experiences (ACEs): Stories of resilience.”
Primary Researcher: Bonny Mathe Helms
Supervisors: Dr. Jackie Feather, Primary and Dr. Janis Paterson, Secondary
Pacific Cultural Advisor: Hilda Port
An invitation to you:
Kia ora, Ni sa bula vinaka, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Kia orana, Fakalofa lahi atu, Bula Vinaka, Ia orana,
Taloha ni, Halo, Kona mauri and warm Pacific greetings.
My name is Bonny Mathe Helms. I am American retired from 29 years as a psychotherapist. I moved to
Auckland in March 2019 to be with my family and pursue research at Auckland University of Technology
(AUT). I am currently working towards my Master’s thesis with this study.
In my practice, I counselled a great many adults who survived adversity as children, many of whom
experienced trauma as a result. I worked with many cultures other than my own and became fascinated
with how we as humans can overcome adversity to become viable members of our communities. As I
worked with diverse clients and patients, I found that I needed to immerse myself in the culture of those
who came to me, and work collaboratively creating their treatment. Essentially, we shared as one human
being to another with mutual respect for our origins. This was essential to produce deep healing and
resolution. I am particularly interested in understanding more about how people of cultures different from
my own, who have had adverse childhood experiences, have overcome these adversities. Pasifka peoples I
worked with seemed to be particularly resilient.
Are you a Pasifika academic who has experienced childhood adversity? If so, As part of my Master’s Thesis,
I invite you to share with me, a non-Pacific researcher who also went through adversity as a child, how you
came through adversity in your childhood and attained your current academic standing.
What is the purpose of this research?
This study endeavors to explore how different Pasifika cultures identify childhood adversity and their ways
to persevere. Stories that show how to overcome difficulty growing up are incredibly valuable and needed.
Since most studies look at childhood trauma from a northern European/Western viewpoint, I want this
study of resilience in the face of ACEs to come from viewpoint of the culture being studied, in this case a
Pacifika viewpoint. As an American psychotherapist working with different cultures, I saw that nonEuropean Americans were under-represented in ACE studies. Also, also most ACE research tended to
pathologise more “diverse” cultures and this gave an inaccurate view of those cultures as a whole. Very
few documented how to overcome ACEs.
I chose to do this study with Pasifika academics because (1) you are living examples of resilience and 2)
you are a member of a multicultural Pasifika population in Auckland New Zealand. I learned from my
Tongan cultural Advisor, Hilda Port that each Pasifika culture has its own customs and traditions and
handles ACEs in their own way. For this reason, academics of different Pasifika cultures are invited to
participate.
Your story of resilience and those of the other Pasifika researchers will make up the main part of my
Master’s thesis. Your perspectives will also pave the way towards my eventual PhD work with Pasifika
participants. There also may be presentations and publications other than my Master’s thesis as a result of
this study.
I hope one day to combine my experience as a psychotherapist and my research findings to provide the
space, time and any relevant expertise that enables Pasifika participants to create culture-specific
programs; programs that provide mentorship and instill resilience and hope to others in their community.
NOTE: Even though I’ve been a psychotherapist, it is important to state that my role in this study is as a
researcher, not a therapist. I am unable to provide any counseling during or as a result of your
participation in this study. This would be a clear conflict of interest.
What will happen if you participate in this study?
I am inviting you to share your story in a confidential, anonymous unstructured face-to-face interview that
will last approximately 2 hours. I say approximately, because this interview will respect the basics of
Talanoa, in that it will be open-ended; an inclusive, mutually participatory and transparent dialogue. How
long this dialogue takes will depend on what your needs and wants are at the time. The interview will be
partially audio recorded. During the interview, you will chose whether or not to share your story, and you
can stop the interview at any time. If you chose to share your story, it is the only part of the interview that
is recorded.
This interview will be arranged at a time, date and AUT location mutually agreed by the two of us and prior
to the end of May 2020. NOTE: However, due to the COVID-19 situation, these interviews may take place
via a secure internet platform such as zoom. Again, the place and time will be mutually agreed upon. Your
story will only be audio recorded regardless of where or how the interview is done.
After you have read through this information sheet and decide to be a part of this study, you will sign a
Consent form. Please take the time to read this document and the Consent Form when you receive it
thoroughly.
How was I identified and why am I being invited to participate in this research?
Most likely a colleague provided access to this information sheet. As noted above, I am chosing to focus
on AUT Pasifika academics because 1) you are living examples of resilience and 2) you are a member of a
multicultural Pasifikapopulation in Auckland New Zealand. I first learned about Pacifika people in New
Zealand through my secondary supervisor, Janis Paterson, PhD who founded the Pacific Islander Family
Study(PIF). She provided an introduction to Dr. Dan Tautolo, who the PIF Director on this increible study.
This led to an introduction to Dr. Julia Ioane, Hilda Port (a graduate of AUT and current PhD student) and
Dr. Juliet Nanai. Hilda and Juliet expressed interest in my study and solicited copies of this Participant
sheet with the intent of passing them on. I am grateful for their trust.
As a Pasifika AUT academic who went through ACEs, your story will eventually contribute encouragement
and inspiration to the people in your communities.
How do I agree to participate in this research?
If you would like to be a part of this study, you may text, call or email me and I can send you a Consent
Form via email, text or hard copy mailed. After reading the Consent Form and you still are interested,
please contact me again and we will discuss where and when to meet for further discussion. Any contact
information given to me prior to receiving and/or signing the Consent Form will be entirely confidential. If
you do not end up participating, your information will be deleted completely. Only after signing the
Consent Form will your information be retained.
Your information will only accessible by myself and my supervisors and will be used for this study only. It
will not be distributed in any way and held in the strictist of confidence.
Further, please know that your participation in this research is voluntary and whether or not you choose to
participate will neither advantage nor disadvantage you. You are able to withdraw from the study at any
time. If you choose to withdraw from the study, then you will be offered the choice between having any
data that is identifiable as belonging to you removed or allowing it to continue to be used. However, once
the findings have been produced, removal of your data may not be possible
What are the discomforts and risks and how will these discomforts and risks be alleviated?
During our dialogue in the interview and specifically as you tell your childhood story and how you
overcame it, you may feel emotional and uncomfortable. You also may feel a sense of relief. As stated
above, you can stop the interview at any time. You can choose not to relate your story. It is entirely up to
you.
In the event that you feel emotional discomfort that is difficult to deal with after our interview, as a
participant in this study, you are entitled to three (3) free confidential counselling sessions via the AUT
Health Counselling and Wellbeing Centre. Please note that these sessions are only available for issues
that have arisen directly as a result of participation in this research, and are not for other general
counselling needs. To access these services, you will need to:

Drop into our centres at WB219 or AS104 or phone 921 9992 City Campus or 921 9998 North
Shore campus to make an appointment. Appointments for South Campus can be made by
calling 921 9992

Please let the receptionist know that you are a research participant, and then provide the title of
my research and my name and contact details as given in this Information Sheet
You can find out more information about AUT counsellors and counselling http://www.aut.ac.nz/being-astudent/current-postgraduates/your-health-and-wellbeing/counselling.
What are the benefits?
Benefit to you as a participant is the opportunity to talk about these topics that are not usually disclosed to
others. You will also be given the gift a $50.00 Countdown food voucher as a thank you for your time and
effort given to this study.
The benefits to the community is to have a study that accurately communicates your experiences and
perceptions from the perspective of your specific Pacific culture. Documentation of this has the potential of
inspiring courage to those in your community who’ve gone through what you did.
Completing this study will benefit me in that I gain a Masters of Philosophy. The findings of this study may
also be used a reference in my future PhD, in journal articles, other research papers and/or any other
academic publications or presentations
How will my privacy be protected?
The interview Talanoa will be recorded and transcribed by this researcher. No one else will have access to
these recordings other than my primary and secondary supervisors. A pseudonym will be used to address
and identify you during the interview. This pseudonym will continue to be used during the processing of
this raw data. I will not be taking written notes during our dialogue. All data will be encrypted and stored
in a password protected cloud drive called OneDrive provided by AUT. The files in which this data is
contained will also be a password protected. Once processed, any physical data will be kept in my
supervisor’s locked office in a locked cabinet. All Consent Forms will be kept in locked in a cabinet in my
secondary supervisor’s office. Your identity will never be revealed in any dissemination related to this study
such as written papers, publications or presentations.
What are the costs of participating in this research?
The costs to you is your time. As stated above, how long our interview will be is up to you. Typically
these interviews are not longer than 2 hours.
What opportunity do I have to consider this invitation?
You may have three weeks to consider this invitation and contact me after this information sheet has been
made available.
Will I receive feedback on the results of this research?
Once this research is completed and prior to publication, all participants will receive a one-two page
summary of my findings. This can be sent via NZ Post or emailed depending on your preference. Your
feedback will be welcome once you receive the findings.
What do I do if I have concerns about this research?
Any concerns regarding the nature of this project should be notified in the first instance to the
Project Supervisor, Dr. Jackie Feather,
Email: Jackie.feather@aut.ac.nz
Contact number: +64 921 9999, ext.7693
Concerns regarding the conduct of the research should be notified to the
Executive Secretary of AUTEC, Kate O’Connor,
ethics@aut.ac.nz , 921 9999 ext. 6038.
Whom do I contact for further information about this research?
Please keep this Information Sheet and a copy of the Consent Form for your future reference. You may
contact the research team as follows:
Primary Researcher Contact Details:
Bonny Mathe Helms
Email: 8038nrp@autuni.ac.nz
Phone or text: +64 022 169 9092
Project Supervisor Contact Details:
Project Supervisor, Dr. Jackie Feather,
Email: Jackie.feather@aut.ac.nz
Contact number: +64 921 9999, ext.7693
Approved by the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee on type the date final
ethics approval was granted, AUTEC Reference number