In My Kete

Over the years, I’ve discovered that the right resources can profoundly shape how we support tamariki in developing emotional resilience, courage, and awareness.

For me, to treasure stories of all kinds is to be human. Every story we have the privilege to hear, to read, to watch has the potential to change something: our minds and our moods.

Some of the most powerful things Aotearoa can do to protect and enhance our people’s mental wellbeing lie beyond the mental health and addiction system. But we need to think holistically – and work together – to make them possible.

I am most attracted to ideas that can be applied in the day-to-day reality of a busy work and family life - the science of small habits is one idea that I have found particularly helpful.

Stoicism is a guiding philosophy that has positively influenced my personal and professional life. Stoic wisdom helps me live a more joyful, productive, and resilient life.

Loss and grief are everywhere. How odd they’re so common yet grievers still get misunderstood, avoided, and judged. One recent book frankly addresses this and empowers us in our work.

"Every human is like all other humans, some other humans, and no other human".

Connection is everything. It's how we spend our good times, and it's how we cope with the bad.

A core belief of mine is that all people deserve and can live satisfying and meaningful lives when they are in a supportive environment and have access to effective psychological tools.

Māori and indigenous nations determine what the Tūramarama Declaration means to them and their approaches. It is a guide and a timeless document.

Being open to and curious about the experiences of fellow humans helps create empathy, understanding, and self-reflection.

We talk about navigation a lot with our lived experience communities – when we say we are all on a journey or we are journeying towards something.