She is Not Your Rehab

She is Not Your Rehab grew from kōrero in a barber’s
chair in Ōtautahi. As men shared things they’d kept
quiet for years, Matt Brown made space to talk about pain, healing and doing things differently.

Matt and Sarah Brown built that kaupapa into a global anti-violence movement grounded in lived experience, culture and community connection.

Their mahi encourages men to address their trauma
and take responsibility for their behaviour, helping
create safer relationships and homes for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau.

As demand grew, so did the work behind the scenes. Since 2021, we’ve helped fund Rochelle’s Business Support Manager role, giving Matt and Sarah more space to work alongside communities and grow the kaupapa.

This mahi reaches people through books, wānanga,
prison programmes, public campaigns and innerBoy
– a free mental health app supporting men working through childhood trauma.

Their 2025 children’s book, This Is Not Yours to Carry, helps tamariki understand that adults’ hurt and worries are not theirs to carry. Its first 20,000 copies were distributed through schools, refuges, community organisations and directly to whānau, educators
and frontline workers.

This mahi challenges silence around trauma and expectations that stop men seeking help. It brings practical resources into places people know and trust, helping change what gets passed from one generation
to the next.