“I contacted Maria through a mutual friend. I am a bubbly positive person by nature but for weeks I was in a stressful and volatile situation in my personal life. I had become anxious, stressed, unhappy, and withdrawn. I was having regular bad dreams, sore stomachs and started being short tempered. Maria and I had an initial phone call which gave me some ease, and then two hui. She guided me on how to release the feelings from my tinana, we said karakia which I loved, it was a gentle but truthful process. I wasn't quite ready to see my contribution to the situation, but it helped me understand a lot. A few weeks after our last hui I noticed how much better I was, my old self but somehow felt stronger. I have loved using our tikanga and doing this through a Te Ao Maaori lense. Ka nui te mihi ki a koe mo to awhina Maria." 

Talia Rickard.