Tūrangawaewae

A place to stand

Abstract

There are three case stories lifted from my own experience, a descriptive analogy of how my model was generated and an overview of the practice model. I will also explain how the model could possibly work for you and your client. This is a personal account of how I connect the process of healing from a Māori world view and from a therapeutic approach. Unfortunately, Māori are over-represented in prison by a multiple of five times their number in the general population. In my work, I have observed that there is a need for the clinician to 'earn the right', from a cultural perspective, to quickly build a strong foundation upon which a successful therapeutic relationship can stand. It is therefore of great benefit for the clinician to indicate to the client that they understand the dynamics and values of Māori culture because they run parallel to the dynamics and values of clinical practice.