Who am I?
I am the māmā of Quinn and Luca and am Māori (Ngati Tamaterā raua ko Maniapoto nga iwi) and European (Scottish, Irish, English, Welsh, German) ancestry. I am gender fluid (she/they), bisexual and neurodiverse (AuHD). I am a professionally trained and experienced mental health clinician, yoga teacher and kai-mirimiri (Māori intuitive bodyworker). I am passionate about individual, family and community trauma healing, self-actualisation and knowledge. I value freedom, authenticity and truth.
What Influences Me?
I was exposed to holistic health, spirituality and environmentalism from a young age through my passionate home birth midwife mother and was made aware of my mirimiri (Māori healing) abilities at age 5 from my Māori kuia (grandmother) .
My core therapeutic and theoretical influences are; intentional peer support (lived experience), kaupapa Māori (indigenous theory), narrative therapy, person-centred, non-violent communication, focusing, polyvagal theory, family therapy, compassion inquiry and internal family systems. I believe it is essential when working with individuals and communities to acknowledge the powerful effects of internalised trauma (polyvagal theory) and external discrimination (systems theory) on the person. This includes constant reflection on the influences of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, and ableism, among other oppressive forces, as well as reflecting on internalised trauma that comes from past experiences and inherited/intergenerational trauma.
what do i offer?
I keep my 1:1 work sacred and offer only a limited number of therapeutic sessions online and in person in the form of individual and family work. I love to work with children, adolescents and adults of varied backgrounds and diversities. My special interests are trauma, bisexulity and diverse relationships, neurodiversity(ADHD, Autism & AuDHD), LBGTQI+, indigenous and people of colour and helping women move understand and reduce overfunctioning, people pleasing and martydom.
Trauma and somatic therapist, yoga therapist, professional supervisor and kai-mirimiri/Māori intuitive holistic bodyworker.
Full member with New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC), membership #13417, ACC sensitive claims registered trauma therapist (provider # PAS115).
Masters of Indigenous Studies: intersectional analysis of oppression of ethnicity, sexuality, class and gender; “Māori Women’s Resilience in the Face of Ongoing Oppression” (University of Otago). Postgraduate Diploma Psychotherapy&Counselling (Cairnmillar, Melbourne). Postgraduate Certificate Developmental Psychiatry (MIndful, Melbourne), BA Political Science (University of Otago).
Nurture Revolution Practitioner: Parent & Infant support based on neuroscience and attachment theory.
Certificate in Matrescence, Matrescence Coach: helping parents in the transition to parenthood.
Postgraduate Diploma in Supervision (enrolled): scholarship received for closed cohort of practitioners supporting takatāpui and rainbow communities.
Over 1000+ hours of Yoga Teacher Training: Atmavikasa Centre of Yogic Sciences (Mysore India), Soundmoves Yoga, Bikram Yoga Teacher Training &Svastha Yoga Therapy.
Based in Thames, New Zealand & Online.
