How can we support wellbeing for Māori students and staff?

In this episode Wiremu shares his school experiences both as a Māori student and as a school counsellor. He describes a sense of not belonging – that this wasn’t meant for him even though he is tangata whenua, a person of this land. To help young people overcome this alienation and to develop a strong sense of connection to Māori cultural identity, he has developed a model of wellbeing which he calls Te Whare Mauri Ora. Listen to Wiremu describe how this model, based on Te Whare Tapa Whā and incorporating positive psychology practices, is being used to help Māori and Pakeha youth.

Bio

Wiremu Gray is a school counsellor and wellbeing facilitator for Māori youth in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has worked for many years in boys’ high schools in Christchurch and now works with youth around the country sharing his model of wellbeing. He is committed to improving the mental health of Māori young people.