Flourish & Heal ~ Practitioners Podcast

“People don’t commit to each other, they commit to how they’re going to relate to the other person ~ with kindness, compassion, acceptance, love, and cherishing.” With Alison Armstrong, Author, speaker and thought-leader In this second episode with Alison Armstrong (the first one is here), I speak with Alison about relationships, safety, duty, transition rituals,...

“Taking one deep conscious breath is the ultimate prayer. When you’re breathing in, you’re borrowing from the earth, and when you’re breathing out, you’re giving back.” With Alison Braithwaite, author & academic In this discussion we touch on our relationship to the workplace (specifically corporations) and how work can act to disintegrate us, and often...

“Diagnosis can feel like a relief because it tells you: it was never your fault. Self-diagnosis can be valid, especially when the barriers to formal diagnosis are so high.” With Karen Ceccon, Director and Principal Counsellor at Ararat Wellness  Karen Ceccon is a specialist in Neurodivergence with many other interests. Karen owns a NDIS wellness...

“ Finding the pathway of the manawa that is the authentic truth… There’s no mind coming into cloud that or distract that.” With Hera Cotter from Te Whare Whakaora Hera Cotter from Te Whare Whakaora joins Flourish & Heal to discuss Rongoā Māori, Mirimiri, and Romiromi, her whakapapa, and her mahi across Tāmaki Makaurau and Te...

“The body is like a memory stick” With Hera Cotter from Te Whare Whakaora Our episode today comes from a Kōrero MiriMiri: Healing Talks series in 2020 with Hera Cotter from Te Whare Whakaora There are 2 more episodes recorded at the end of 2025 coming up after this one! This episode introduces Hera Cotter...

 ”Feed me two minute noodles or chips and gravy” With Erin Mahmud, General Manager at Ararat Wellness  Another in our neurodivergent series, this episode focuses on autism, ADHD, and food. Erin was diagnosed with autism at 31 and ADHD at 33, and is passionate about better supporting neurodivergent people in workplaces. This conversation explores masking...

“ Finding the pathway of the manawa that is the authentic truth… There’s no mind coming into cloud that or distract that.” With Hera Cotter from Te Whare Whakaora Hera Cotter from Te Whare Whakaora joins Flourish & Heal to discuss Rongoā Māori, Mirimiri, and Romiromi, her whakapapa, and her mahi across Tāmaki Makaurau and Te...

“If something’s happening in the group space, chances are it’s happening out in the real world ~ and you can learn from it because it’s right here.”  With Trish Thompson Counsellor & Psychotherapist In this episode, Trish Thompson shares about the depth and complexity of working with groups. With a focus primarily on group therapy....

Couples counselling as a service to your relationship With Jade Rivera, Couples and Individual Therapist from Expansion Therapy  Jade Rivera is a beautiful therapist and human being from Inner Expansion Therapy who has an aim to help people learn about authentic connection through supporting their capacity and assisting the release of limiting beliefs and patterns....

“Come as you are. Be who you are. There’s no expectation ~ only encouragement to become more yourself.”  With Ako Torowhānui Facilitator Sarmantha Coffey  In this episode, we describe & process the transformational journey of Māori healing wananga, discussing the importance of community support, the challenges and joys of becoming a practitioner, and the profound...

“You know, on some level, the spaces and places you’re genuinely meant to be. You feel that pull.” With Jaime Mackie, Romiromi & Mirimiri practitioner, Ako Torowhānui Kaiarahi ~ guide, co-business owner of The Tribe STM  Gabrielle & Jaime Mackie from Ngākau Healing and Creative to explore the challenges of stepping into Māori healing. Together,...

“  You have to be so committed to make this work. You want to make sure you’ve got enough grit, enough guts. Enough resilience, enough tenacity, enough confidence…” With Gabriella de Mori, Registered counsellor & Private Practice owner Gabriella de Mori, registered counsellor and counselling practice owner shares her unique journey from working in Africa in...

“Don’t try to fit into a square when you’re a circle” With Tania Edmonds-Tairea Nurse & Kōpu Huri practitioner In this episode, I sit down with Tania Edmonds-Tairea who shares her life and work journey, blending spiritual practices with nursing. Tanz is one of our Ako Torowhānui: Māori Healing peer coaches – a huge supporter of...

“Cultivating Connection, Navigating Culture and Community “ With Chelsey King ~ Youth Worker In this episode, I sit down with Chelsea King, a dedicated youth worker with a deep passion for supporting young people. Chelsea shares her journey from being a young mother at 15 to becoming a professional in the youth justice and community...

“Hiring staff or a contractor requires Trust and Collaboration:” With Nicola Hanna Today’s podcast is with Nicola Hanna, a long-time IT consultant who started out as my VA – Virtual Assistant. Nicola is responsible for the majority of tech and platforms I use for my business and together, we delve into the dynamics of hiring...

“Dance is the beautiful ability to be both the artist and the art” With Dance Facilitator Stacey Kay In this episode we touch on the capacity of dance to enable us to express ourselves, to be creative in the moment, and then to actually never be able to recreate that exact same thing ever again....

“The piece of you who was broken is stronger than you are today ”  With Ako Torowhānui Practitioner Becks Smith Becks Smith is a solo mum healing 3 yrs from addiction & fear who is now offering Mirimiri to help others rise, her story is raw, open & inspirational. Becks dove into sharing this mahi...

“A lot of people are drawn to Māori healing to clear their lineages and their past, but there is so much after that. Life starts after that.” With Mary Paz, Mirimiri, RomiRomi, Egyptian anointing, conscious tarot, runes, dragon & galactic medicine, reiki, astral surgery, Akashic records & Ako Torowhānui Practitioner Mary Paz Nuñez explores her...

“If you are stepping into sharing this mahi, we all have these ideas of what it looks like, but through the process of following the steps, we will find our way.” With Sarmantha Coffey, Romiromi & Mirimiri practitioner, deep soul listener & Ako Torowhānui Kaiarahi Together, we delve into the intimate journey of transitioning between...

“Part of meeting my power was being able to really be in the embodiment of pain and feel safe to take myself on.” With Jarna Saunders, Life Coach, Mirimiri practitioner (& Ako Torowhānui Graduate)   The podcast is a heartfelt conversation with someone who I could talk and learn from all day, Jarna Saunders. Our conversation...

“How much we can give to one another by human touch… more than ever, we realise how important touch is, how much it makes us feel alive to one another.” With Hatice Aydemir from Mum Kneads,Confinement & post-partum massage From the moment we met at our Pregnancy massage course I was curious about this practice...

“We don’t put up with the old paradigm, and yet we don’t know how to access or create a new paradigm ~ the paradigm I call partnership.” With Alison Armstrong, Author, speaker and thought-leader Since I first encountered Alison’s work and  The Queen’s Code in 2017, I’ve navigated many of my own lessons & challenges with...

“Mahi talks” with Ako Torowhānui Facilitator Sarmantha Coffey Discovering the self in the every day, our practice & self-reflection In our first podcast, we meet Sam and touch base about her journey to finding Māori Healing, creating safe spaces and stepping into becoming an Ako Torowhānui: Māori Healing Kaiarahi ~ Facilitator and teaching those who...

Restoration, renewal of mind, and soul A journey of inspiration The journey from addiction to flourishing, studying, and learning about life in a whole new way. A powerful story of change and the many supports that made this possible. Themes from this conversation When worlds collide The importance of an eco-system of support, community and...

“You don’t want to be excited. You want to be effective. Money responds so well when we’re relaxed, at ease, and enjoying our relationship with it.” With Sarah McCrum, Author, author, teacher and coach working with money, energy, generosity, business and true wealth Embracing the beautiful love of money. Sarah McCrum changed my life in...

“Vicarious trauma can actually shift your worldview. It makes you see things through a different lens because of what you get exposed to.” With Liz Andrew-Brake, Social Worker, Supervisor and Coach In this episode we talk about Healing centred engagement, advocacy & through the power of a social work lens. We talk about the benefits...

“There’s an aspect of holding yourself in the human realm while also giving over to the energy of healing. My human self can have a lot going on … and I can step into that space and really gift to other people’s healing.” With Jaime Mackie, Romiromi practitioner & coach Today we look at the...

“When you’re on the table, it bypasses the cognitive language and goes straight to the source” With Harold Turk, Māori trained Healer & Body Therapist, Private Coach, Doctor of Chiropractic In this episode, we connect with Harold’s journey into Māori healing, the importance of including our own healing within our path of being a healing...

“Sometimes people are making leadership harder than it needs to be. A good leader or becoming a good leader is actually just about being a good person.” With Wendy Youens Executive Leadership Consultant Leadership coach and consultant Wendy Youens discusses the realities of leadership, confidence, and the complexity of being human at work. We explores...

“Listening harder is often the work, not having the clever answer. I catch myself being clever and then I think, stop, that’s not the point. The point is to be helpful.”  With Dr. Trevor Simper, Counsellor & Psychotherapist In this candid episode, Dr Trevor Simper’s academic background and therapeutic grounding inform our discussion around motivational...

“Rest is a big one. Surrounding ourselves with people who uplift us and taking care of our own wellbeing is part of holding capacity for others.” as With Jaime Mackie from Ngakau Creative, Romiromi practitioner, Mama, Business owner, counsellor in training In this episode, Jaime & I vibe all things healing, supporting our clients &...

“The system often asks neurodivergent people to behave in a neurotypical way just to get diagnosed” With Karen Ceccon, Director & Principal Counsellor at Ararat Wellness Practitioner and business owner Karen Ceccon discusses the lived experience of neurodivergence in both personal life and professional practice. Her late-life diagnosis has led to an in-depth understanding of...

“Early in business, we often wear masks, borrowed ideas of what business or spirituality should look like, until we grow into what is truly ours.”” With Renée Gardiner, Director of KŌTA Health and Leadership Academy, Founder & Archeologist About this episode In this episode, Renée Gardiner and Gabrielle Walker explore the evolving relationship between personal...

“We can’t open up to healing unless we really look at where we’ve been” With Simonne Butler, Medicine Woman, activist, Author In this episode, Simonne Butler explores the layered journey of trauma, healing, and reclaiming one’s voice. Simone shares her process of writing and releasing her deeply personal story in her book The Double-Edged Sword....

“To be human means we are going to experience anxiety, grief, suffering, and loss ~ it’s part of the human experience” With Jodee Clover Counsellor & Psychotherapist This episode explores the deeply human foundations of counselling and space-holding. We touch on the nature of safe therapeutic relationship, empathy and compassion in practice, and the role...

“Romiromi, it’s a co-creation. We’re not handing ourselves over to a healer to be healed” With Jaime Mackie, Romiromi & Mirimiri practitioner, Ako Torowhānui Kaiarahi ~ guide, co-business owner of The Tribe STM  This episode opens up our shared understanding about the practices of Romiromi & Mirimiri. Together, we reflect and speak to the deeply...

“For me, resilience isn’t about pushing through or tolerating pain. It’s about flexibility ~ the ability to move with life rather than hardening against it.” About this episode In this conversation, we dive deep into the nuances of holding space, energy and holding the energies of neutrality. What began as a chance meeting during a...

Haere mai ~ welcome beloved to the flourishing healing practitioner podcast The first step on a journey of exploring and merging all aspects of our consciousness in podcast form.  Flourishing healing practitioner podcasts will be released in an flowing ad hoc format that flows with the rivers of my inspiration and capacity to edit. I...