He pua whakaata ahau nō ngā tai o Ngāti Porou,
Nō Ngāti Puai te hapū, nō Horouta te waka i te taha o tōku pāpā.
Ko Hikurangi te maunga e tū whakahī nei, ko Waiapu te awa e whakatangi ana i te reo o ōku tīpuna.
He au e rere mai ana i Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi,
Nō Ngāti Tuera te hapū, nō Aotea te waka i te taha o tōku māmā.
Ko Ruapehu te maunga hukarere,
Ko Whanganui te awa kōrero.
Ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au.
Kei Te Awakairangi ahau e noho ana. Ko Taranaki Whānui o Te Upoko o Te Ika ngā kaitiaki o ēnei whenua tapu.
Ko Maree tōku ingoa.
Maree is a qualified counsellor and a registered addictions and problem gambling practitioner. She is a member of both the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC) and the Drug and Alcohol Practitioners’ Association Aotearoa, New Zealand (DAPAANZ), ensuring her work meets the highest professional and ethical standards. Maree is a firm believer that recovery is more than overcoming addiction; it is about restoring balance across all dimensions of a person’s wellbeing. At the heart of her practice is whakawhanaungatanga: building genuine, trusting relationships with tangata whaiora, their whānau, and the wider community. She understands that connection comes first, and that true healing occurs when people feel seen, heard, and valued.
A compassionate and highly skilled addictions clinician, Maree expertly integrates evidence-based practice with the deep values, tikanga, and traditions of Te Ao Māori. She draws on a range of therapeutic approaches to create personalised, strengths-based pathways to recovery that honour the unique needs and aspirations of every person she works alongside.
Her practice is grounded in manaakitanga (care), aroha (compassion), and ngākau māhaki (humility). Maree works in a non-judgemental way, upholding the mana of tangata whaiora and walking alongside them as they reclaim their health and wellbeing. Maree’s approach is not just about addressing addiction; it’s about restoring mauri (life force), strengthening identity, and empowering people to step into their potential. Her work reflects the belief that every person carries the seeds of their own healing, and with the proper support, those seeds can flourish.
Skills
- Conducting brief and comprehensive AOD assessments
- Implementing harm reduction and abstinence-based approaches
- Collaborative goal setting and structured recovery planning
- Relapse prevention strategies and interventions
- Delivering psychoeducation to individuals and groups
Areas of Expertise
- Alcohol and other drug (AOD) addiction
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief and loss, including perinatal and infant loss
- Anxiety and depression management
- Burnout prevention and recovery
- Self-harm interventions and support
- Family violence prevention and intervention
Education & Qualifications
- Bachelor of Counselling and Addiction Practice (BCAP)
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)