Emotional Health—Te Taha Whānau

Abstract

In the Māori model of health, Sir Mason Durie named this cornerstone of health after the family (‘whānau’ in Maori), because of the central place of the family in Māori life. Author adopts a Western approach: ‘emotional health’. Maslow (‘love needs’) and Seligman (‘relationships’) concur. Author acknowledges the importance of his own family and his childhood; examines childhood beliefs and their connection with self-esteem. Practising a different approach: asking ‘What would a person who loves themselves do?’ for 21 days. The US author Byron Katie’s concept of ‘The Work’ to understand our personal triggers. Brené Brown’s 2010 TED talk, ‘The Power of Vulnerability’, which introduces the concept of wholehearted living.