Holding space

*Content warning: This episode includes discussion of trauma, which may be distressing for some listeners. If it brings up some difficult feelings, consider reaching out to someone you trust or a mental health professional for support.
In this episode, we speak with clinical psychologist, Catherine Gallagher about trauma: what it is, what it isn’t, and how it can show up in children and adults. She shares practical guidance for parents on how to respond if their child is experiencing trauma, and outlines where to seek further advice and support.
Catherine has more than 20 years’ experience across public, private, and education settings and is currently the Clinical Practice Manager at START, where she supports staff and delivers community education on sexual harm.

In this episode we talk to Dr Grant Christie about the Substance & Choices Scale and Brief intervention tool (SACS-ABC).
This tool was developed by Grant in collaboration with Whāraurau, it is used to assist in identifying young people at risk of AOD problems and to guide brief intervention, further treatment, and/or referral options.
Dr. Grant Christie is a child and adolescent psychiatrist specialising in youth addictions.
Resources:
Substance & Choices Scale and Brief Intervention
SACS application | The brief
Wellbeing application | Headstrong

In this episode, we talk to Professor Te Kani Kingi about his research and projects, including his involvement in the development of the Te Whare Tapa model of Māori health. He also reflects on trends on Māori health and the impacts of social media on rangatahi in Aotearoa.
Professor Te Kani Kingi is the Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Te Whare Wananga O Awanuiarangi. He was born and raised in Poroporo (near Whakatāne) and has tribal affiliations to Ngāti Pūkeko, Ngāti Awa, and Ngai Tai.

In this episode, we talk to Byron Rangiwai about his journey with ADHD – from early struggles in rigid classroom settings to finding academic success and cultural reconnection later in life. Byron shares insights on how schools and homes can better support neurodiverse young people and introduces his pīwakawaka analogy – a powerful way for young people to reframe ADHD and better understand themselves.
Byron Rangiwai is Associate Professor of Māori and Indigenous Research at Ngā Wai a Te Tūī: Māori and Indigenous Research Centre, based at Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka | Unitec Institute of Technology. With dual PhDs from Auckland University of Technology and the University of Otago, Byron’s current research interests centre on Māori and indigenous understandings of neurodiversity.

In this episode, we kōrero with Wiremu Gray about his journey from a challenging childhood to his work today as a counsellor and cultural advisor. Wiremu shares insights from his mahi supporting rangatahi in schools and offers practical guidance for practitioners working in this space. He also introduces the Te Whare Mauri Ora model, an innovative approach to mental health and cultural wellbeing grounded in Te Ao Māori.
Wiremu Gray has been working in the space of Māori woodcarving, wellbeing, leadership, supervision, and counselling for over 20 years. He is passionate about changing negative health statistics, especially for Māori. He believes that having a bicultural approach to wellbeing using the Te Whare Mauri Ora model is a positive step forward for institutions and health providers in Aotearoa.