Sexton said clinical care approaches to mental health care can come with dangers, as issues can't be addressed in a personal way.
"Our peers sometimes don't feel validated, and they feel like they're a stand-alone issue with what they're dealing with," she said.
"It's very much based on how your brain works, how your hormones work, and when you're struggling mentally, [the clinical approach] is not something that can be exactly helpful because it can be too much to process."
Intentional Peer Support (IPS) is a service peers can sign up for themselves.
IPS maintains mental health as a conversation, not a consult, by referring to peers as peers, not patients, and replacing phrases like "What's wrong?" with "What happened?".
In the past four years, Wairarapa has taken on 50 referrals with two peer supporters, including Hope.
22-year-old Featherston resident, Skyla, approached the service for help in handling grief following her grandma's cancer diagnosis.
Skyla says with Piki, peers meet in the middle with people they like.
"You don't constantly feel like you're being analysed by a professional," she said.
"It's just having a chat with a friend.
"I've met my peer supporters at the beach, I've met them for coffee - just anywhere that's comfortable, casual.
"They're really good at working with me and where I'm at."
One of the ways peer supporters reframe tough chats is by taking fear out of their responses.
When a person says they feel 'scared', 'weird', even suicidal, it is the role of the supporter to sit with them in their feelings and not run to quick fixes.
Sexton says she went through a traumatic experience in the year leading to her role as a peer supporter.
"I really struggled for a long time, and I just felt that peer support was what I needed in that time of need," she said.
"And so that's what my care is based on: just having that person alongside you when times are hard, and to be validated in your feelings."
Since starting with Piki, Skyla noticed changes in the way she communicates with friends and family by way of listening and not always having an answer.
"I've definitely had moments with peer support where they didn't have an answer for everything, but they were still there.
"That's the one thing that I've taken away, is that you can still be helpful without always knowing the answers or how to help."
At first, Wairarapa DHB was sceptical when the programme launched in 2019.
Sexton said Piki's flyers hadn't been taken out of their storage cupboard until a year after the programme had launched.
"I had to work quite hard and really give them a perspective from personal experience," she said.
"Then the relationship started to really build. So I'm thankful for that.
"We've seen a big intake in referrals from [Wairarapa DHB] … [What we hear] in all the feedback that they're receiving from peers that they're seeing, as well as being referred to us, is that it's working - it's great."
A former peer said they appreciated that their peer supporter had stayed by their side even after their circumstances began to improve.
"So different from the usual DHB approach of ditching clients as soon as they are a little bit better.
"Knowing she was there added some security for me to stop worrying about 'what if' and focus on recovery and trying new things."
Peer supporters conduct fortnightly co-reflections, almost like group therapy, so they can look after themselves alongside their peers.
For more information, visit piki.org.nz.
