Mana Āhua Ake

Mana Āhua Ake is a ACC approved group that is Māori-led, Te Ao Māori-informed three-day therapeutic intensive for wāhine who have experienced sexual violence and trauma. The group has been developed primarily for Māori wāhine while also welcoming non-Māori women who feel this approach would support their healing.

Grounded in whakawhanaungatanga, manaakitanga, tikanga Māori and Te Whare Tapa Whā, Mana Āhua Ake offers a culturally and emotionally safe environment in which women can strengthen connection, restore mana and reconnect with their sense of self.
The programme brings together psychodrama, the Therapeutic Spiral Model, somatic awareness, mindfulness, breathwork, grounding, movement, mahi ā-toi and raranga. The work is carefully paced and responsive to each woman’s strengths, needs and readiness, with close attention given to emotional safety, group cohesion and the regulation of trauma responses.

Mana Āhua Ake is designed to complement, rather than replace, individual therapy. We view the work as a collaboration between each woman, her therapist and the group facilitators. This partnership helps support preparation, safety and the integration of what emerges during the group into each woman’s continuing therapeutic journey.