Roz Walker balances family, clinical psychology and vineyard work

It’s something most of us only dream about but as a clinical psychologist, winemaker, mother and wife, Roz Walker has come close to balancing her work, family and interests.

Roz and her husband decided to make a living from wine

The journey began when her chartered surveyor husband, Michael, experienced a mid-life crisis. “The question was ‘What else does he like doing?’ We decided he couldn’t make a living from fishing but maybe he could make a living from wine.”

Roz and Michael made a snap decision to move from the UK and begin a new life in New Zealand with their two young daughters.

While Roz worked as a clinical psychologist, Michael gained vineyard experience

By a combination of luck and proactivity, Roz landed a job at Wellington Hospital’s Pain Management Service. Helping people manage a life with pain had been her speciality back home, and the district health board saw a need for this and created a part-time position for her. “I just phoned up the local hospital to see if they had a pain clinic and started work within six weeks of arriving.”

Meanwhile, Michael worked in a vineyard gaining experience before managing his own a year later. Roz says any spare time she had was spent working on the vines. “When I wasn’t doing psychology I’d be pruning, bud rubbing or leaf plucking.”

Ironically, Roz says it was the vineyard that counterbalanced the demands of working with clients. “You can potter along listening to the radio, not being responsible for anyone, and that’s nice.”

Roz moved into private practice to give her more flexible hours 

However, commuting between the vineyard in Wairarapa and her job in Wellington, and managing a family was hard work. After 10 years at the hospital Roz decided she wanted to spend more time with her family. “I remember my daughter writing her first speech about being a vintage orphan!” That comment prompted Roz to move into private practice in 2007, allowing her to work more flexible hours and to keep some days free.

“I’ve been able to do things with the children like be at their school music competitions and their swimming, soccer and athletic practice.” Roz has also found the time to be involved in her daughters’ school fundraising, but says it’s important to be really honest with yourself about how many extra activities you can take on.”

Finding work-life balance has brought enormous rewards

“Finding an ideal work-life balance is definitely a work in progress,” she comments. A winery on the property is next on the plans. And with the vineyard maturing, Roz is focusing on winemaking, what she calls the creative element of vineyard work. “It still means you have to be a really good time manager to juggle it all.” But the rewards of striking the balance are enormous.

Few can lie back with a glass of their own award-winning wine in hand on a Sunday evening and say, “It’s lovely to wake up on a Monday and not have to go to work!”

Read about how Roz trained in winemaking while working as a clinical psychologist