WELCOME
My name is Hāweatea Holly Bryson (Hāwea) and I look forward to supporting and witnessing you on your journey! I specialise in trauma, transition and transformation. This includes early childhood or adult trauma, existential crisis, spiritual emergency, family and relationship counseling. I have been fascinated by humans, what we both say, and do not say (but our energy conveys it anyway) since I was small. We each carry a unique power to heal ourselves, and to heed our call toward greater alignment and authenticity. I'm committed to our resurgence of Rites of Passage and our retrieval of our Ways of Knowing.
FORMAL BIO
Hāweatea Holly Bryson of Nature Knows specialises in trauma, transition and transformation. This is as a nature-based indigenous psychotherapist, individual and couples counselor, quest and rite of passage guide for 15 years, and māori healing practitioner for 12 years. Ngāi Tahu & Waitaha are her tribes. Her community bases are in Hawai’i Island, Australia and Aotearoa. She trains facilitators and therapists in rites of passage, nature-based and experiential adventure therapy, ecopsychology and our ways of listening.
Training
MA Transpersonal Counselling Psychology and Wilderness Therapy
(2006-2009) Naropa University, Colorado.
B Psychology (2005) Otago University, NZ. Neuropsychology & Indigenous Studies.
Wilderness First Responder (2006 - 2020) WMI, NOLS, Base Medical.
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) (2014) Living Works.
Narrative Therapy & Sacred Storytelling (2014) Weave Youth Family Community. Speak the Spark (2019, 2020) School for Sacred Storytelling
Treatment of Complex Trauma and Trauma Informed Care (2013) Adults Surviving Childhood Trauma (ASCA).
Alcohol and Other Drug Issues, Culturally Appropriate Training for Work with Aboriginal People (2012) National Alcohol and other Drugs Association (NADA).
Smart Recovery Addiction Group Therapy Facilitation (2012) SMART Recovery.
Dance Teacher/ Facilitator (2010) Certified SoulSweat™ teacher, (2018) Dance to be Free™: bringing the therapeutic power of dance into prisons.
SandPlay Therapy (2009) Rocky Mountain Survivor Centre for Asylum Seekers.
Gestalt Therapy (2006-2007) Gestalt Institute of the Rockies (S1), Naropa University.
Adventure Therapy (2006 - 2007) Naropa University inclusive.
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (2007) Naropa University. Residencies:
(2017-2019) Mahalo Aina Sanctuary, Hawai'i, (2011) Twin Oaks Farm, Colorado.
Lineage Training In Acknowledgment
My teachers in Māori Healing are predominantly Atarangi Muru since 2012 and Manu Korewha (The Māori Healers), and Pani Hokianga (Native Soul Healing).
Also Ruatau Perez, Charlotte Mildon, Makuini Ruth Tai and Wikitoria Oman for their shapings.
In maramatanga Māori my Koro is Piripi Waretini, (Tū Kaha Kāhui). Also Reverend Kalani Souza (Olohana Foundation) and Kahu Rangihekeiho for being day in and out uncles and teachers for me. In Uru Waiora Therapy: Traditional Māori Therapy, Umutakarangi Timoti Pahi, (Uru Consulting). In Ho'oponopono Kumu Pa'a Lawrence Kalainia Kamani Aki (Mana o Molokai).
Kei te mihi maioha, Kei te mihi mātakuikui.
Seven Levels of (Vision) Quest, (2015), Malcolm Ringwalt. Stalking Wolf Lipan-Apache Lineage.
Marumali Program: To Put Back Together. Culturally Specific Trauma Care for Aboriginal People (2014), Aunty Lorraine Peeters.
Guide Training in Vision Fast/ Quest (2013), The School of Lost Borders. *The bones of their 55-yo school are the lineage of Grandpa Raymond Stone (Paiute) and Heyemoyosts Storm (Cheyenne).
Ancestral Lineage Healing (2021), Dr Daniel Foor, Ancestral Medicine.
Path of Freedom Training: Mindfulness-based emotional intelligence (MBEI) and leadership curriculum for incarcerated prisoners (2011), Fleet Maull; Prison Mindfulness Institute, Shambhala Buddhism Lineage.
Awakening the Illuminated Heart, (2009, 2011). Drunvalo Melchizidek.
Shambhala Mindfulness Teacher Training (2007), Shambhala Institute. Buddhist Lineage of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Certified Kundalini Yoga, Meditation and Conscious Pregnancy Teacher (2007, 2013), Kundalini Research Institute. Sikh Lineage.
Community
Our mental health system is amongst deep change. These three communities have held my heart and schooled me over the past 15 years.
1) VETERANS. As a founding member and lead facilitator of Rooted Within: Veteran Renewal & Recovery Retreats. Our program has served female combat veterans (Operations Iraq/ Afghanistan) since 2011. You can support, contribute to, or refer to this program here
2) PRISONS/ DETENTION (Colorado, Hawai'i, Sydney): Supporting those inside or post-release, yoga/meditation/natural highs for addiction recovery, and supporting therapeutic and cathartic dance for inmates.
3) Always in the forefront is INDIGENOUS YOUNG PEOPLE and their families. Bush Circle created at Weave Youth, Family, Community (Australia) was selected at the World Parks Congress as a highlighted case-study for the decade ahead (2014-2024) for fourteen countries. The message it carried prioritises access to Country and Culture over other services. This continues with the Nature Knows programs Everyone a Hero, Hawai’i Island and Koauau Pounamu, Aotearoa, with the intent to develop into tuakana-teina/ sibling programs.
PEPEHA
PEPEHA
belonging to
Ko Uruao
Ko Arai-te-Uru
Ko Aoraki
Ko Mauna-o-Wakea
Ko Te Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa
Ko Takurua te Whanga
Kāi Tahu
Kāti Māmoe
Waitaha
Kāti Hāwea
Kāti Huirapa
Ko Puketeraki
"Haaweatea is a very talented and skilled facilitator. She see's below the surface of people's words and asks pivotal questions... She skillfully illuminates the truth and from this, I saw women able to let down their guard and practice
being true to themselves"
~ Tiffany Higgins, Veteran Retreats, Rooted Within, 2011
“Hāweas presence and authenticity are two of her strongest qualities followed by her incredible knowledge and experience
working with people on trauma and transformation”
~ Elizabeth Hawkins Robinson, Executive Director ONEFreedom, 2012
“I can’t put into words the impact this has had on my life. In every interaction I’ve felt cared for, validated, understood, worth something, accepted, acknowledged, and appreciated. I want to thank you for being a safe person, that I felt okay enough to open myself up to, so I could experience this.”
~ Lainey, 2017
OUR COLLABORATIVE TEAM
TIFFANY HIGGINS
LIZZY SLATT
SURAJ BRYSON
ESHANA BRAGG
HERA HOLTOM
FABI VLCHECK
JACKIE HARVEY
ALICE MCKINNON
Experiential Facilitator, Coach MS
Adventure Therapist, Therapist LCSW
Co-Facilitator: Heroines Journey, Counsellor, Meditation Teacher-Trainer
Facilitator, Ecopsychologist, PhD.
Māori Healing
Practitioner
Equine Therapist, Holistic Coach
Māori Healing
Practitioner
Soul Surfing Coach and Facilitator, PhD.