Restorative Practice
When conflict or harm breaks trust, restorative practice brings people together — safely, and at their own pace — to understand what happened, who's been affected, and what's needed to put things right. It protects mana on all sides, so relationships can be repaired, not just managed.
I've worked across schools, community groups, workplaces and whānau, including with the Ministry of Education.
When it can help
A complaint or incident has left people unable to work together.
A team has split into sides, or trust has quietly broken down.
Harm has happened in a school, kura or community group and needs putting right.
What I offer
Restorative conversations — a facilitated meeting between two or more people after harm or a breakdown in the relationship.
Team circles — for teams, boards and committees carrying conflict, so everyone can speak, be heard, and agree how to move forward.
What to expect — Aro ki te hā
You're never asked to walk into a room before you're ready. The process moves at your pace, and safety comes first — always.
Hā tuatahi — First breath. We begin one to one. I meet each person on their own to listen and explain the process.
Whakatā — The pause. When we meet, we open in a way that suits everyone, agree how we'll be with each other, and take a settling breath.
Puta te hā — The breath out. Each person has space to speak without interruption — what happened, and how it has affected them.
Hā hou — Fresh breath. Together we work out what's needed to put things right, and test that it will last.
Hā okioki — Resting breath. We record what's agreed in your own words, close with care, and follow up to see how things are settling.
Practicalities
A first kōrero costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Fees are quoted once I understand what's needed. I work kanohi ki te kanohi across Manawatū-Whanganui, and online or by travel across the motu.
Family Mediation
Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) is the mediation that helps separated parents and whānau work out care arrangements for their tamariki — without going to court.
The mediations I take are the hard ones. High-conflict, often with a history of family violence, and real safety to hold in the room.
This is the work I know how to do well. I bring a real understanding of trauma and what it does to the way people think, speak and hear each other under pressure — and the structure and safety that lets something shift even when everything feels at stake.
Contracted through Fairway Resolution and the Family Dispute Resolution Centre.
Mentoring
I mentor accredited mediators into family mediation — a supported pathway to gain experience, with warm, grounded and confidential guidance drawing on te ao Māori values.
“Mentoring with Sandra was genuinely enriching — supported, challenged, encouraged, and cared for. She set me up to achieve professional goals I couldn’t have reached on my own.”