#wellbeing: Mauritau: New Māori Wellbeing Journal Brings Mātauranga and Psychology Together

A new wellbeing journal is bringing mātauranga Māori and Western psychology together, offering a distinctly Māori way of understanding the changing emotional states people experience in everyday life.

Clinical psychologist Dr Jessica Gerbic has created Mauritau: A Journal to Find Balance with the 12 States of Mauri, a 208-page journal designed to help people recognise, understand and respond to changes in their wellbeing. It is due to be published by HarperCollins New Zealand on September 1.

Gerbic, of Ngāti Pūkenga and Ngāti Pikiao whakapapa, is the founder of Pūkenga Psychology and works across clinical practice and te ao Māori. Her wider mahi has focused on creating practical Māori wellbeing resources that can be used by individuals, whānau and communities.

Understanding the 12 states of mauri

At the centre of Mauritau is the concept of mauri, described through the journal as the pulse of wellbeing and the spark that makes each person unique.

Gerbic introduces readers to 12 states of mauri, providing a framework for recognising the natural movement of emotions rather than assuming wellbeing means feeling calm or positive all of the time.

Those states include Mauri Oho, representing a sudden awakening, through to Mauri Tau, a state of grounding and calm.

The journal encourages people to become more intentional about noticing where their mauri sits and how their experiences are affecting them.

That creates an approach to wellbeing based not simply on identifying what might be wrong, but on understanding what is happening within ourselves and what might help restore balance.

Wellbeing bigger than the individual

One of the significant differences in Mauritau is the breadth of the wellbeing framework.

Rather than viewing mental health in isolation, the journal encourages balance across mind, body, spirit, environment and whānau.

That interconnected approach reflects a wider understanding within te ao Māori that hauora does not begin and end with an individual.

Whānau relationships, connection to whenua and taiao, wairua and a sense of belonging can all influence wellbeing.

Gerbic has previously described her own practice of Mauri Tau as involving grounding, breathing, karakia and connection with Papatūānuku and the natural environment.

Mātauranga Māori alongside clinical psychology

The journal also challenges the idea that people must choose between Western clinical psychology and mātauranga Māori.

Instead, Mauritau brings the two knowledge systems alongside each other.

Gerbic’s clinical background includes approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy, while her work also draws deeply on te ao Māori.

For Māori, that combination is particularly significant.

Mental health conversations have historically been dominated by Western clinical frameworks, despite Māori having their own concepts, language and practices for understanding hauora, relationships, wairua and emotional wellbeing.

Mauritau creates another pathway — one where mātauranga Māori is not simply added as a cultural extra, but sits within the foundation of how wellbeing is understood.

Making Māori wellbeing tools accessible

Gerbic’s work through Pūkenga Psychology has been driven by a broader objective of making Māori wellbeing resources accessible to everyday people.

That matters because tools supporting hauora do not only belong inside hospitals, clinics or therapy rooms.

They can also sit in homes, workplaces and communities, helping people build a stronger vocabulary for recognising what they are experiencing before distress reaches crisis point.

Mauritau is not a replacement for professional mental-health care when that is needed. Instead, its contribution is in providing another practical tool for reflection, awareness and connection.

As conversations continue about improving Māori mental health outcomes, Mauritau offers a simple but important proposition:

Understanding our wellbeing can also mean understanding our mauri — and recognising that moving between different emotional states is part of being human.

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