Te Kōpū Ūkaipō
Like the whare tangata, Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is a warm, protected and nurturing space. It offers wāhine the opportunity to step away from the noise of everyday life, rest within meaningful kōrero, and reconnect with the strength of their tūpuna and their own inner knowing. Here, identity, belonging and whakapapa are remembered and honoured. You do not walk this journey alone.
Te Kaupapa
Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is delivered as a guided reflection wānanga that supports māmā to navigate the identity shifts of motherhood. Through kōrero, reflection and collective connection, it creates space for women to reconnect with their own knowing, strengthen their sense of identity and belonging, and recognise the relationships and places that sustain them.
Rather than offering answers or attempting to fix, Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is grounded in the belief that every wāhine already carries her own wisdom. The role of the framework is to create the conditions where that wisdom can be remembered through reconnection to whakapapa, whenua, self, and the relationships that sustain us.
Te Tohu
The tohu (logo) is a visual representation of the foundations that underpin Te Kopu Ukaipo.
Te Kōpū (The Outer Shape): Represents the whare tangata (womb) and the tapu space held by wāhine. It invokes the domain of Hineteiwaiwa, wrapping māmā in a protective spiritual korowai (cloak) during the wānanga.
Ūkaipō (The Core Heart): Represents our true home - the physical and spiritual places we return to for deep nourishment, identity, and a strong sense of belonging.
Whenua (The Bottom Ridged Line): Represents Papatūānuku as a calming anchor for rest, release, and rongoā (healing). This honors the dual meaning of whenua - the land that sustains us and the placenta that nourished our pēpi.
Whakapapa (The Unbroken Thread): Represents the continuous ancestral lineage looping through womb, home, and earth. It reminds māmā she is never isolated, standing as the central living link between her tūpuna (ancestors) and her future generations.
Ko wai au?
Kia ora! Ko Kayla ahau. He uri tēnei nō Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi hoki. I am a māmā of five, based in Christchurch who enjoys being amongst te taiao and spending time with my whānau.
As a Year 4 Social Work student at the University of Otago, I hold formal credentials in Perinatal Mental Health Foundations Training, Child Protection Foundational Training and Trauma Informed Professional Development. Alongside my social work studies, I am currently undertaking Te Tohu Taonga Pūoro through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, an area of te ao Māori I have a genuine interest in exploring further. My background includes hands on experience in family support roles, and I have previously driven community led initiatives and hosted an event dedicated to Perinatal Mental Health Awareness.
The foundation of this space was directly informed by deep lived experience, rangahau, and ongoing learning. Throughout its development, I intentionally sought guidance from respected practitioners within their own areas of expertise. Their contributions ranged from refining the kaupapa itself to sharing whakaaro, encouragement, and insights that helped strengthen its direction.
These experiences, have led me to develop Te Kōpū Ūkaipō, a kaupapa Māori maternal hauora framework that supports wāhine to reconnect with identity, belonging and whakapapa throughout motherhood.
Ngā tikanga o te Wānanga
Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is not a counselling, therapy, crisis or clinical service.
Wānanga are educational, reflective and grounded in kaupapa Māori.
What is shared within the wānanga, is expected to remain confidential, with respect of each persons privacy and lived experiences.
Participants are welcome to share only what they feel comfortable sharing.
The mana, dignity and wellbeing of everyone in the space will be upheld.
Information about local support services will be available if needed.
Whakapā Mai
Te Kōpū Ūkaipō is facilitated directly by the founder and is currently entering its pilot phase, with the first community wānanga taking place in September 2026. As the framework continues to grow, the vision is to share it more widely through future wānanga, collaborative presentations and partnerships.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out for a kōrero.