Whakapapa

Ko Koro Ruapehu, Taranaki, Maungakāhia, me Kahuranaki ngā Maunga.

Ko Whanganui, ko Tukituki, ko Ngaruororo ngā Awa. Ko Poukawa te Waiū. Ko Te Māhia te Moana.

Ko Te Ātihaunui-ā-pāparangi, Ngārauru ki tahi, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Kahungunu me Ngāti Rongomaiwahine ngā Iwi.

Ko Koriniti, Matahiwi, Atene, Kaiwhaiki, Kaiiwi, Patea, Tawhitinui me Kahuranaki ngā Marae.

Ko Ngāti Pamoana, Poutama nui-ā-Awa, Ngāti Hineoneone, Ngā Paerangi, Ngāti Pukeko, Rangitāwhi, Ngāti Haua-Piko, Ngāi Te Rangikoianake me Ngāti Hikairo ngā Hapū.

Ko Kathleen Ngakahu Teki-Bartlett ahau. He piripaua ki ā Del Brooks-Teki rāua ko Mark Whakatomo Bartett. He mokopuna ki a Ita Pokiha, Ngareta Brooks, Wahi Mārama Teki rātou ko Kathleen Nikara. He māmā ki a Liam Whakatomo rāua ko Taonga Kahu tātara.

Ancestral Lineage

Mātauranga Rongoā

Kathleen's work is a living continuation of an intergenerational lineage of Rongoā Māori Tohunga, Matakite and Wairua Healers, carried through her whānau.

At the foundation of this whakapapa is her great-grandmother, Ita Pokiha, a Tohunga Rongoā Māori of Ngāti Pamoana hapū at Koriniti Marae, who dedicated her life to supporting the wellbeing and healing of her people. Her knowledge, service, and commitment to care and restoration laid a foundation for the healing pathway that continues through their whakapapa, and which Kathleen is privileged to carry forward today.

This legacy was carried forward by her mother, Ita Brooks-Teki, a tohunga matakite and healer, and father, Mark Whakatomo Bartlett, a tohunga rākau rongoā. Together, they established a Rongoā Māori clinic in 1997, Te Rapu Ora, creating a dedicated space for healing, guidance, and service to whānau and community.

From her earliest years, she was immersed in the world of healing. At just five years old, her own healing journey began when she brought a bird back to life, an experience that revealed a natural connection to healing and wairua from a very young age.

For more than 30 years, she has been trained and nurtured within this tradition, learning not only the practices of rongoā Māori and taha wairua, but also the deep responsibility, integrity, and care that come with carrying and protecting this mātauranga and Taonga.

Today, Kathleen continues this work with deep respect for those who came before her. What she offers is not separate from her whakapapa, it is a continuation. A living practice guided by wairua, grounded in tradition, and carried with integrity, responsibility, and aroha. Her mahi is dedicated to the healing, restoration, and reconnection of those who come into this space.

Close-up of hands gently harvesting native Kawakawa leaves in damp, mossy New Zealand forest light, moody 35mm film photography, deep green shadows.
Close-up of hands gently harvesting native Kawakawa leaves in damp, mossy New Zealand forest light, moody 35mm film photography, deep green shadows.

Honoring te Taiao

Harvested through Tikanga Rongoā

This work is also a commitment to te taiao - the natural world. Every aspect of this practice acknowledges the deep relationship between people, land, waters, and all living things. Healing is understood as something that cannot be separated from the environment we are part of.

Through respect for te taiao, we are reminded of balance, reciprocity, and responsibility. The wellbeing of the individual is connected to the wellbeing of the wider environment, and in returning to this understanding, we return to a more natural state of harmony and connection.

Each session is held with this awareness, honouring the living systems that sustain us and the wisdom they continue to offer.

Aroha, Manaakitanga, Kaitiakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Wairuatanga

A sanctuary for intergenerational release

We welcome you and your ancestors into this tranquil space. Together, we walk side by side you to clear heavy energies from the body, mind, and soul, restoring the natural flow of your MAURI.

Moody environmental shot of a quiet Rongoā healing room, steam rising from a wooden bowl of hot water with native leaves, soft window light, deep shadows, 35mm film.
Moody environmental shot of a quiet Rongoā healing room, steam rising from a wooden bowl of hot water with native leaves, soft window light, deep shadows, 35mm film.

— Wāhine Wharetangata Steaming

Available upon request

Wāhine Wharetangata Steaming is a sacred Rongoā Māori healing practice that provides a safe and nurturing space for wāhine to reconnect with their tinana, wairua, and whakapapa.

Experiences such as trauma, sexual abuse, unhealthy relationships, miscarriage, abortion, stds, infertility, endometriosis, menopause, and significant life events can have lasting impacts on a person's emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing. This healing practice honours the understanding that these experiences may continue to affect how we feel, relate to others, and move through life.

Our Mātanga Rongoā practitioner will gently guide you through a sacred whakawaatea using traditional takutaku, karakia, and carefully selected rongoā tailored to you. This ceremony is designed to support release, restoration, reconnection, and the nurturing of your own healing journey in a culturally safe and compassionate environment.