Reflecting on cultural meanings of spirituality/wairuatanga in post-traumatic growth using the Māori wellbeing model of Te Whare Tapa Whā

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper engages with the notion of universality by critically exploring the concepts of trauma and post-traumatic growth from a cultural perspective. Drawing on the indigenous Māori model of wellbeing “Te Whare Tapa Whā”, the inter-relationships between family relationships, physical wellbeing, mental and emotional health, and spirituality are examined as a holistic model. Spirituality is a key component of this holistic approach and arguably an inseparable aspect of holistic wellness and can be defined as “a broad universal construct associated with individuals’ ways of making meaning of their lives and the acknowledgment of the presence of a higher being”. Within the cultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand, we make a case for the value of holistic interventions to support people who have experienced trauma that prioritise spirituality alongside other aspects of wellbeing.