Our holistic approach

Whakamātūtū’s approach is holistic because mental distress affects every part of our lives. As you navigate your recovery journey, we will help you consider all of your needs—mind, body, spirit, whānau, and the things that impact your daily life. This holistic approach will help you build a strong foundation for your recovery.

Te Whare Tapa Whā

Sir Mason Durie’s model of holistic health expresses the underlying integrated model of care at the centre.

With its strong foundation and four pou (health pillars), the wharenui symbol illustrates the five dimensions of well-being. Together, they represent the interdependence of good mental health with good physical, cultural, whānau, and social health. At the centre, we offer creative, evidence-based treatments to support all areas of well-being.

Our guiding principles

    • Guiding everything we do is our lived experience of mental health and our journey of recovery.

    • Recognising that there are many interconnected aspects to a person’s well-being.

    • Supporting people in bringing themselves and all parts of their lives to the programme.

    • Building a strong integrated programme of therapies and medical care to address the separate and unified parts of a person’s mind, body, wairua (spirit), and whānau (family).

    • Balancing our place on this earth in harmony with nature.

    • Embracing a therapeutic approach that looks at the causes of a person’s distress, not only their symptoms.

    • Encouraging self-reflection and insight

    • Using interpersonal relationships, including our therapists and other participants, to facilitate change.

    • Giving individuals autonomy and ownership of their recovery journey.

    • Valuing and integrating whānau input where it is beneficial to the individual.

    • Understanding that each person is different and should be supported to make their own choices towards their definition of a meaningful life and personal identity.

    • Recognising, valuing, and building on each individual’s mana, strengths and potential.

    • Providing compassionate and supportive services

    • Understanding the impact of trauma as experienced by individuals and their whānau. 

    • Treating everyone with dignity and respect.

    • Upholding culturally appropriate practices that allow Māori to engage with and thrive in our service.

    • Providing treatments that meet Māori aspirations for well-being.

    • Honouring the place of Māori as tāngata whenua and building relationships on open-hearted listening and responding to need where invited to.

    • Acknowledging the need for tāngata tiriti to honour the words and spirit of te Tiriti o Waitangi and to examine how these can be lived and acted upon.

    • Building partnerships with mana whenua, Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

Lived experience

Guiding everything we do is our lived experience of mental health and our own journeys of recovery.

Psychodynamic

Embracing a therapeutic approach that looks at the causes of a person’s distress, not only their symptoms.

Encouraging self-reflection and insight.

Facilitating change through the relationships you will have in group and individual therapy.

Strengths-based

Recognising, valuing, and building on each person’s mana, strengths and potential.

Providing compassionate and supportive services.

Our guiding principles

Holistic

Recognising that there are many interconnected aspects to a person’s well-being.

Supporting people in bringing themselves and all the different parts of their lives to the programme.

Tangata whai ora and whānau centred care

Giving individuals autonomy and ownership of their recovery journey.

Valuing and integrating whānau input where it is beneficial to the individual.

Trauma-informed engagement

Understanding the impact of trauma as experienced by individuals and their whānau. 

Treating everyone with dignity and respect.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Honouring the place of Māori as tāngata whenua and building relationships on open-hearted listening and responding to need where invited to.

Acknowledging the need for tāngata tiriti to honour the words and spirit of te Tiriti o Waitangi and to examine how these can be lived and acted upon.

Building partnerships with mana whenua, Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

Integrated

Building a strong integrated programme of therapies and medical care to address all the parts of a person’s mind, body, wairua (spirit), and whānau (family).

Balancing our place on this earth in harmony with nature.

Recovery oriented

Understanding that each person is different and should be supported to make their own choices towards their definition of a meaningful life.

Tikanga Māori

Upholding culturally appropriate practices that allow Māori to engage with and thrive in our service.

Our service can contribute towards positive social change for tāngata whai ora Māori.

At Whakamātūtū, our main priority is the well-being of our community; we value our connections with the local Mana whenua and Māori communities of Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.