About Us
Aoake te Rā
Aoake te Rā is a free brief therapeutic support service funded by the Ministry of Health. It has been informed by a co-design process including stakeholders, lived experience groups, clinical and cultural expertise in suicide prevention and postvention, and recent literature.
Aoake te Rā is part of Clinical Advisory Service Aotearoa (CASA). CASA is a Non-Government Organisation offering a broad range of knowledge, skills, clinical and/or lived experience in the areas of suicide prevention and postvention as well as broader areas of mental health and wellbeing.
CASA works alongside groups and organisations to support their strengths in working together for wellbeing. See www.casa.org.nz for more information.
'Te rongoa tuturu o ngā tupuna ko te korero'
“The original medicine of our ancestors is to share our experiences with one another”
Meet The Aoake te Rā Team
Kia ora, I am from Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāi Te Rangi ki Tauranga Moana.
I am a Clinical Advisor on the Aoake te Rā team, a valued member of Ngā Pou Ārahi. I have a background in mental health and am also a social worker. I am passionate about the mana of whānau and supporting people to be courageous. I now live on the West Coast of the South island with my wee whānau where we enjoy exploring the mountains, ocean and rivers of Aotearoa. Mauri ora whānau!
Tēnā koutou, Ko Ngā Ruahine, me Ngāti Ruanui ōku iwi. I am a registered nurse with a background in acute child and adolescent mental health and work as a clinical advisor with Aoake te Rā team. I am driven by a vision of empowered and self-governing individuals, whanau and community. Ko te manu e kai ana I te miro nōnā te ngahere. Ko te manu e kai ana I te mātauranga nōnā te ao.
Outside of my mahi I enjoy being outdoors and connecting to the whenua and moana.
Kia ora, Ko Tracy Murdoch ahau. Nō Ōtatautahi.
My name is Tracy Murdoch and I live and work in Christchurch. I am a clinical advisor/coach for Aoake te Rā. It is a privilege to support Aoake Te Rā providers in their mahi when supporting the bereaved by suicide. I am a Registered Psychologist (Child and Family) and have worked in the field of suicide prevention and postvention for many years with CASA. I also work in private practice with children and young people who have experienced significant trauma in their lives.
Kia ora, I’m Amanda Christian, I live in the Far North in the beautiful Doubtless Bay, Taupo Bay. I work as a psychologist in the area of suicide prevention and postvention – My mahi with Aoake te Rā is in the coaching and training role, and as a clinical advisor especially from the bereaved perspective after having lost our daughter to suicide aged 16 years. I am passionate about aligning services to meet the needs of the bereaved voice. I also contract as a therapist to Aoake te Rā working alongside bereaved others. Outside of work I enjoy whanau time, our animals, beautiful sunny beach days and am learning to play golf.
Tēnā koutou e ngā rangatira, ngā tangata whenua o te Ao. Greetings all distinguished indigenous peoples of the World.
Ko Takitimu raua ko Kurahaupō ngā waka,
Ko Ngāti Kahungunu rātou ko Rangitāne, ko Ngāti Raukawa ngā iwi
Ko Renata raua ko Heketa Te Awe ngā tangata,
Ko Miriama Scott te ingoa.
I am of Ngāti Kahungunu and Rangitāne descent through our mother and Scottish and English descent through our father.
I was born in the Cook Islands, where there is a close association with the Takitimu waka, the canoe of the Ngāti Kahungunu tīpuna, to whom I whakapapa.
While I am a registered social worker, my education is in Sociology, Anthropology and History but due to the ‘strong’ encouragement of a kaumatua, Turoa Haronga, because I was facilitating learning on a social work programme, I completed competency to practice social work and then registration as a social worker.
My passion and commitment are to progress tangata whenua knowledge and skills in any field of practice and to challenge mainstream / generic services, where constraint of the legitimacy to practice as the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa may be evident. In keeping with this commitment, I also work to tautoko all indigenous peoples in the same endeavours.
Mauriora!
Kia Ora, He uri āhau o Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Awa, me Ngāti Porou hoki. I am a mum, a whanau member, a community member, and a kaimahi. I work in the Aoake Te Rā and CPRS Tō Te Ra spaces. I have a background in community social work and suicide prevention and postvention. I care about whānau identifying their strengths, being a strong advocate for the voiceless, indigenous practices and matauranga māori. I love a good road trip but you can usually find me on the East Coast, in Tairāwhiti, Gisborne enjoying time with my tino tāongā, my children.
