Te Huringa - The Turning Point

Do you want to help make change in people’s lives?

Do you have issues with addictions, childhood trauma and instability in your life?

Are you ready to reclaim your identity?

Kia ora, my name is Paaka. I have 3 beautiful children, 2 fur babies and an absolute boss of a partner but it’s been a helluva journey to get here. I’ve spent most of my life struggling with addictions and childhood trauma and am proud to say that I have been in recovery for the last 5 years and have the support of many services in my community.

I’m wanting to change the course of my career to something around the lines of helping disadvantaged youth, people in recovery, people with mental health issues and people wanting to reclaim their identity by way of Mahi a Atua.

Mahi a Atua is a form of narrative therapy that focuses on recovery from the trauma of colonisation. Māori creation stories are used as a form of healing, connecting alienated Māori to their whakapapa. Change-makers, or Mataora, are people who are helping others with their recovery of drug & alcohol dependence, childhood trauma and the effects that colonisation has had on their families.

With this knowledge, I would like to begin connecting with at risk youth services, drug and alcohol support plus mental health services in areas that need it most but don’t have such services. I intend on doing this work throughout NZ.

The overall goal, is to help empower our young people, give them direction, help them reclaim their identity, but most of all, help them heal the pain or struggles they’re dealing with.

🙏🏽