WARNING: This article contains content that may trigger some readers. Support lines are listed at the end of this story.

A self-styled motivational speaker has sparked intense backlash after his seminars, promoted as support for struggling parents and children, were widely criticised as scams and labelled “very disappointing and disturbing” by a top mental health expert.

The seminars, ‘Savage Angels’ for girls and ‘Motiv8ing’ for boys, hosted last week at the Woolston Club in Christchurch and in Nelson, have prompted calls for immediate action to prevent further sessions due to the outrage among participants.

Teesha Passmore, a doctor of psychology who attended the Christchurch seminar with her 15-year-old daughter, expressed her disappointment. “The content was disheartening and misleading. There was no focus on empowering the young attendees or addressing the challenges they face today.”

Advertised as events to aid girls aged 11-17 and their parents in making smarter, more informed life decisions and resisting pressures from social media and peers, the seminars fell short of expectations.

According to Passmore, “The main speaker, a man, predominantly spoke about himself without offering any substantial advice or support. His comments on how to handle personal insults were particularly troubling and unprofessional.”

“At one stage, he asked the girls to say what insults they had been called at school. He put an equation on the screen and said this is how you deal with it: You write down the name of the person who insulted you, then you write down the insults, then you write = 0. That’s it!” Passmore said.

“I felt for the young girls who were brave enough to voice the insults that they had received—he showed no compassion for their responses, no empathy, no real care for them. His response was just ‘Yep.’ The insults that the girls mentioned included being called fat, ugly, dumb, slut.”

“More disturbingly, he gave advice that was unhelpful and even damaging to young girls. For example, he told the girls that their feelings were not real or valid—the complete opposite of what should have been said. About 10 or so people walked out during the seminar.”

Participants also criticised the lack of a platform for genuine feedback, claiming some reviews appeared fabricated and not linked to real Facebook profiles.

The seminars are run by Australian-based “motivational speaker” John McMahon, who has previously been accused of falsely claiming to be a mental health worker to Australian authorities during quarantine laws.

In a Facebook post made on March 26th, McMahon admitted, “I’m not a psychologist, teacher or author, I’m not an intellectual or the counselling/nurturing type. I’m raw, real, in your face & as down to earth & practical as they come. I call out bullshit on both sides of the parenting equation & make no excuses or apologies for how I go about it.”

Participants were equally disappointed with the other speaker, a woman whose narrative lacked valuable insights or motivational guidance, they said.

Passmore’s friend, who took two daughters to the seminar, shared her disappointment after spending $207 on tickets, finding none of the advertised themes on self-esteem, self-worth, dreams and goals, confidence, self-talk, or self-empowerment.

“Basically, it was just a man rambling on, and a woman speaker who told a boring, uninspiring story about her life,” she said.

Passmore plans to file a complaint under the Consumers Fair Trading Act, citing misleading advertising.

Another Christchurch resident who attended a seminar with her son struggling after his grandfather was murdered, shared similar sentiments: “I was so disappointed to come away with no tools or ways to manage emotions and doubt. I felt it was a complete waste of time. All we heard about was his life story and his passion for bikes and his upbringing,” she said. “I want a refund. Times are tough, and I expected help and advice, knowledge and tools.”

In Nelson, Megan Beaumont’s experience echoed these sentiments. “His reviews were all amazing! But his talk was not. His opening statement was, ‘I’m not smart or professionally trained, I’m just a guy telling my story,’ and that was all it was! I learned about his family and his life and a lot about motorbikes,” she said. “We had to watch videos of him riding and doing jumps. There wasn’t a single piece of information I could take away to help my kids. He said if we think he’s just been talking about himself all night then we missed the point! He made me feel stupid.”

Beaumont expressed concern over the dangerous implications of McMahon’s speech. “He spoke about how he previously felt suicidal and mentioned the method he intended to take. He never followed up with any information about who to talk to or what to do. I felt it was extremely dangerous and unprofessional, like he was planting a seed. His advertisement was misleading. He is a conman, and I have been ripped off,” she said.

Another mum, who attended the Christchurch talk with her two daughters, one of whom suffers from severe anxiety and depression, lamented the lack of educational content. “I looked at the advertisement and it looked really inspiring to me. What we found was it was very boring and we learned nothing from it.”

Nelson resident Lara Scott attended with friends and their teenagers, hopeful for a seminar that would inspire their boys into a positive future. “The advert stated ‘Motov8ing Boys’ is an event for boys aged 11-17 and their parents; the goal is to help them to understand the power of a positive attitude, how to develop confidence, how to change destructive behaviour, how to identify personal potential & understand the importance of self-respect & respecting others.

“None of this was learnt or instructed. John McMahon’s advertisement was extremely misleading and untrue,” she said.

“He is prying on vulnerable parents of teenagers to make a lot of money. I went along prepared with my notebook ready to learn strategies and tools where none of this was taught and there was nothing to write down. I did however learn how you sit on a dirt bike compared to a sports bike, how to take corners when racing.”

Scott also criticised a misleading email sent two days before the show, which promised a unique opportunity for a few boys to be involved behind the scenes. “This sounded exciting for a handful of kids attending and they would get an amazing opportunity. However, these kids were his ticket takers and his water bottle fillers. How he is scamming parents out of their money is disgusting,” she said.

“We need to stop this man from exploiting families. The advertising promises empowerment and inspiration but delivers none,” Passmore.”

“Very disappointing and disturbing” – Mental Health Foundation CEO Shaun Robinson

Mental Health Foundation Chief Executive Shaun Robinson said the content offered in the seminar was “very disappointing and disturbing.”

“Parents and schools should take the time to check the validity and content of any speakers and to ensure that safety and support measures are in place at any event.

“It is not ethical or safe to ask young people to share their distress in public without any level of support or follow up on the spot.

“It is easy for well-meaning people to provide dangerously misleading advice, but it is particularly troubling to think that people might exploit vulnerable young people, parents and whānau.

“Parents and young people looking for advice about such issues as bullying should look to reputable sources such as the Mental Health Foundation Pink Shirt Day information and advice https://mentalhealth.org.nz/our-campaigns/pink-shirt-day .”

Minister of ‘Mental Health’ offers one line response

Despite National’s Matt Doocey holding the first ‘Mental Health’ portfolio and being presented with seminar examples, his office limited its response to a mere single line.

“By way of general comment on youth mental health, it’s important that any mental health advice to young people is well considered, clinically sound and carefully conveyed.”

Consumer NZ Campaigns Adviser Abby Damen said “we are aware of someone who attended the ‘Motov8’ event in Wellington on Monday, and they found it to be “pretty average”, and not something they would recommend.

“If anyone feels the talk didn’t live up to what was promised, they could request a refund through Eventbrite.

“If that doesn’t work, they could try to claim back the cost of their tickets through the Disputes Tribunal.

“They should also feel free to provide feedback on Facebook. Online reviews should be genuine and should not exclude negative reviews so if anyone is concerned their negative review is removed, they should contact the Commerce Commission.

John McMahon has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

However, the woman who spoke at the event shared her disappointment regarding the harsh criticism she received.

“It took considerable courage to speak at this event, especially since I was invited and wasn’t compensated,” she explained.

“This was the first time I shared something so personal in a public setting, and the negative feedback was truly hurtful.”

Where to get help:
• Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)
• Youth services: (06) 3555 906
• Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234
• What’s Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm)
• Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)
• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737

Free Parenting Helpline 0800 568 856 Call now for compassionate, friendly, non-judgemental support and advice on all parenting issues. From 9am to 9pm 7 days a week.
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111