We farewell Cecilia

In October 2023 Whaanui Health and Wellness Service opened its doors to providing a remote

counselling service which not only ofers its services to the local community but to communities

further afield.Kia Ora, my name is Cecilia Brownhill and I am honored to be the Remote Counsellor for Whaanui

Health and Wellness Service. I come with over 20 years of experience, beginning in 2005 as a Drug and

Alcohol Clinician for this same service. 2007 saw me moving to Australia and two years ago semi-

retiring in Victoria to be near my mokopuna. My passion has always been the stories that are told. They are stories of courage, of cultural lore, of

love and dreams, of endurance and of resilience. The journey taken to reclaim their stories, with

permission given to me to walk beside them, is what has allowed me to continue my work in Trauma,

Crisis/Critical Incidences, Sexual Violence with women and children, and continues today. I have

carried a personal value throughout the past 20+ years and that is "to live in this world free from

violence is not a privilege, but the right of every man, woman and child". Remote counselling allows us to serve the people, E Tangata E Tangata E Tangata. It allows us to come to you if you cannot come to us. The opportunity for anyone to be able to receive counselling regardless of where you live, or where you work, what your situation is, remote counselling can be utilized. Since the days of Covid 19, the world has changed for us all, and on a positive note, people

have become accustomed to the easy accessibility in the world of technology. Now you can engage

with medical professionals, mental health professionals, drug and alcohol professionals and

counselling professionals anywhere in the world. I began at Waahi Whaanui Health & Wellness in 2005 as a very new (know-it-all) counsellor, who knew nothing at all and as only the wairua knows why, I returned in 2023, and here I am finishing my career where I first began.Thank you for having me, thank you for supporting me, thank you for guiding me home.To my AOD Team, you are my Pou, Caro and I began this hikoi together back in 2005 and then she came and got me once again to join the team and now one walks on and the other one goes fishing. I have wondered for some time just how to finish off such a paanui and I have one taonga to share with you all.When I was first at Parry Street, I would wander over to korero with Matua Toko and he would share his knowledge to bring about clarity. Then my last visit with him was to tell him I was heading to Australia to the Western Desert to walk beside the First Nations and he quietly said these words:“Girl, you have been looking for a box to fit in, and you cannot find it. It is because you do not have one but instead fly high, soar up to the highest maunga and gently land. Look out and you will see an empty canvas, now go paint your own picture, one you can fit in”.And I did just that – for many years and then I landed once again and this time it was to finish my mahi, ae via remote, but still on the whenua of home.‍

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