About Ora Aroha
Ora Aroha is a whare - a House of Hauora - based in Mangawhai, Northland.
It’s a place of healing, learning, and connection, where ancient Māori frameworks and contemporary practice come together to support whole-person wellbeing.
Our kaupapa is open and welcoming. It’s a space for those seeking deeper connection, with themselves, with others, and with te taiao. We invite people of all backgrounds to experience the richness of our shared heritage while finding balance within the modern world.
Our foundations are rooted in Te Whare Tapa Whā, the Māori model of health that recognises balance across four pou: taha tinana (body), taha hinengaro (mind), taha wairua (spirit), and taha whānau (family and community).
When one pou weakens, the whole whare feels it - our mahi is to help restore strength and harmony across all aspects of ora.
The threads of our practice are woven across four key areas:
Mirimiri & Energetic Healing - bodywork that restores connection and release.
Rongoā Kōrero - guided conversation and reflection through the medicine of words.
Workshops & Wānanga - creative learning experiences for individuals, whānau, and workplaces.
Neurodiversity Advocacy - kōrero, training, and resources that support understanding and inclusion.
Our Vision and Mission
To create a whare {home/place} where people from all walks of life feel seen, welcomed, and uplifted. A place where hauora is honoured as a living practice, where individuals and communities grow.
Our Mission
To weave professional knowledge, lived wisdom, and tikanga Māori into meaningful pathways for wellbeing. Through our mahi, we offer spaces and services that are informed, compassionate, and grounded - supporting genuine healing, understanding, and transformation.
Meet The Founder
Ka whakapapa au ki te taha o tōku māmā
Ko Moumoukai te maunga
Ko Te-Moana-nui-a-kiwa te moana
Ko Nga Nuhaka te awa
Ko Taikitimu te waka
Ko Ngāti Kahungunu raua Ngāi Tūhoe oku iwi whanui
Ko Ngāti Rakaipaaka te iwi
Ko Ngāi Te Kauaha te hapu
Ko Manutai te maere
Ko Daniel Smith rāua Ko Te Ahu Herewini/Smith ōku mātua tūpuna
Ko Crystal-Jae tōku ingoa
No reira
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
Crystal-Jae brings over 25 years of experience across the health and wellness sector as a practitioner, business leader, educator, and facilitator. She is the founder of Ora Aroha, where she integrates clinical training with a degree in Health Science and Formulation (BHSc), Rongoā Māori, Mirimiri and trauma-aware practice to foster inclusive approaches to hauora. Her work is also deeply informed by lived experience as an Autistic wāhine and māmā to neurodiverse children, shaping her advocacy for equity and neurodiversity inclusion across schools, workplaces, and communities.
An award-nominated entrepreneur and former CEO in both Aotearoa and Australia, Crystal-Jae has led successful clinics, overseeing teams and establishing the operational frameworks, procedures, and professional development pathways that underpinned their growth. With a background in adult education and years of mentoring staff, she is widely regarded as a clear, engaging communicator who translates complex knowledge into practical, empowering learning.
Her speaking and facilitation experience includes large scale events such as International Women’s Day and numerous community and business forums. She has also contributed within education settings as a teacher aide supporting neurodiverse learners, and as a volunteer with Yellow Ladybugs, an international organisation focused on autistic girls and women. Today, she is recognised for weaving professional expertise with lived experience to deliver workshops, wānanga, and keynotes that invite both understanding and tangible action.
Beyond her professional work, Crystal-Jae lives by the same hauora principles she teaches. Having navigated significant mental health challenges herself, she understands firsthand the importance of balance, resilience, and daily practice. She maintains her own wellbeing through meditation, fitness, healthy kai, and living in rhythm with her natural cycles - not as theory, but as lived commitment. Her daily rhythm also includes homeschooling her son, a role that deepens her insight into neurodiversity and the importance of responsive, inclusive learning environments. Time in nature plays a central role in her life; whether walking with her dogs, spending time in the ngahere, or being near the water, these practices keep her grounded and connected. This integration of personal practice with professional expertise shapes the authenticity she is known for, ensuring that the values she speaks of are those she actively lives.
