About Ora Aroha
Ora Aroha is a whare — a House of Hauora — based in Mangawhai, Northland. It is a place of healing, connection, and advocacy, where ancient Māori frameworks and contemporary practice are woven together to support the whole person.
Our kaupapa is inclusive. It is a safe space for anyone seeking a deeper connection with themselves, with others, and with the whenua. We welcome people of all cultures to experience the wisdom of our shared heritage while navigating the realities of modern life.
Our foundations are grounded in Te Whare Tapa Whā, the Māori model of health that recognises balance across four pou: tinana (body), hinengaro (mind), wairua (spirit), and whānau (family & community). When one pou is weakened, the whole structure feels it. Our mahi seeks to restore balance and strengthen both the individual and the collective.
The threads of our practice are woven across four key areas:
• Mirimiri & Energetic Healing — trauma-aware bodywork for reconnection and release.
• Rongoā Kōrero — guided conversation and supportive space.
• Workshops & Wānanga — inclusive learning experiences for individuals, whānau, workplaces, and communities.
• Neurodiversity Advocacy — kōrero and resources that empower tamariki, schools, and organisations to embrace diverse ways of being.
Our Vision and Mission
Our vision is to create a whare where people from all walks of life feel welcomed, understood, and uplifted. A place where hauora is honoured as a living practice, and where both individuals and communities can grow with strength, clarity, and connection.
Our mission is to integrate professional knowledge, lived experience, and tikanga Māori into meaningful services that respond to the needs of today’s world. We are committed to offering pathways that are trauma-aware, inclusive, and grounded — so that those who walk alongside Ora Aroha experience genuine support, healing, and transformation.
Meet Our Founder
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, 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 gratitude journaling — 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.
