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Page URL: https://practice.orangatamariki.govt.nz/practice-approach/practice-framework/whai-akona/supervision/whakawatea/
Printed: 06/12/2024
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Last updated: 27/05/2024

Whakawātea

The intent for this phase is to clear, free up and/or make way or dislodge the space from what people are bringing with them that may inhibit moving to clarity in this supervision session.

Clearing the space for the session

The whakatau phase of karakia/whakatauākī/whakataukī has opened that door and now the whakawātea process is about 'letting go' to enable both participants to move from their previous space into the supervision space. Incantation, mindfulness, karakia and whakataukī are used to clear, to free up and/or to make way or dislodge. Having karakia before proceeding with the other phases of supervision is significant because it helps to break away from the worldly daily grind and marks the passage into the sharing of personal matters and exploring better ways to navigate in the workspace as indigenous and bicultural practitioners.

This whakawātea practice prioritises space and time to ground oneself in the session freed from anything preoccupying. It would allow the kaitiaki to share their current state with the kaiārahi (a feeling, issue, attitude, event, success or other) that is distracting their ability to fully engage in the session or in practice in general (sometimes it is offloading). Opening space for current states to be released opens a healing pathway to begin to address and restore tapu and mana. Consider how whakawātea is kept alive through ongoing support and revisiting when needed.

Prompts: skills, knowledge and behaviours

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