STEPH MAC
WOMEN'S COACH
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Kia ora! I'm Stephanie MacDonald (Steph Mac), 31 year old born and bred Southlander, Wellness Guide & Artist.​
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I am a Qualified Life Coach through the New Zealand Institute of Business, a Qualified Red Tent Facilitator through Red Tent Aotearoa, a NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner), I studied Energy Healing with Jeanette Wilson, and I trained in Reiki at the Otatara Retreat in Southland.
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
- Fully Qualified Life Coach through the New Zealand Institute of Business
- Qualified in Business Management
- Qualified in Human Resource Management
- Certificates in Matauranga Maori, Tikanga Maori and Mana Ora (Maori Business)
- The Shaman Path - Levels 1, 2 and 3
- NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Practitioner
- Qualified Red Tent Facilitator
- Reiki Practitioner & Energy Healer (Studied with Jeanette Wilson)
- SoulCraft Advocate (Studied the work of Bill Plotkin)
- Certificates in Farmer Suicide Awareness
- 6 Month Mentorship with Matanga Hapai: Maori Business Cadetship
- 1 Year Mentorship with Isabelle Meiring
- 6 Month Mentorship with Debbie Lim
- 13 years of Local Government, Environmental and Corporate Experience
- Certificates in EcoPsychology, The Art & Science of Nature Wellbeing
- Author of Three Books
- Makeup Artist of 13 years, receiving Southland Makeup Artist of the Year - completing makeup for hundreds of weddings Southland Wide, working on professional filmset, photoshoot and professional advertisements
- Facilitated a three month creative painting project 'Ki uta ki tai' with a local school
- 11 Murals painted for inner CBD Art Revitalization as well as murals completed for GreatSouth, SouthAlive, Hot Yoga, Matariki Festival Wings, Creative Matariki Project with Environment Southland, Three Murals in Cafe Revitalization for Environment Southland
- Weekly Radio Show & Podcast with Radio Southland
- Experience as a Trustee & Facilitating Retreats
- Held over 20 Abstract Art Workshops in Southland
- Held Ecotherapy Nature Experiences for Women in Southland
- Held monthly Red Tent Women's Circles in Invercargill and Riverton
- Held an art exhibition in 2021 called 'Creatrix'
- Traveller to Peru, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, USA, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tahiti, Australia, Spain, Singapore​
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THE ISSUES I'M ACTIVELY SOLVING
1. Mental Health Issues
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Our societies distract, avoid and contract instead of processing emotions in healthy ways. By learning somatic practices, individuals may learn to feel safe in their bodies and start to live more full and inspiring lives.
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When we are truly and deeply connected to ourselves, we learn to process emotions and release the things we are holding, resulting in less pharmaceutical use and more organic healing for our planet and individuals.
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Our Action towards this initiative: T
he WellSpring Podcast that aims to teach individuals about emotions, self-love and being deeply connected.
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Soulful Women Free Facebook Group and Community
4. Loss of Respect for Mother Earth
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Mother Earth is a 'macro' embodiment of the Mother, the Feminine, the Creative Life-Giving, Life-Birthing, Life-Sustaining Mother. We believe the disconnect and disrespect to women is mirrored at both a micro and macro level. We cause harm to things we don't see value in, stripping resources and spaces that are not sustainable. People are disconnected to the natural world more than ever, barely noticing trees and plants on their daily commute inside concrete jungles.
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When we are truly and deeply connected to ourselves, we begin to value and respect ourselves, and we naturally evolve to no longer wanting to cause harm to anyone else, including our planet and animals. We believe all harm caused to others outside of us, is a reflection of negative inner self talk.
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Our Action towards this initiative: Ecotherapy Guided Land Immersions, Retreats and Experiences, Online Courses, Ecotherapy Activations
2. Loss of Culture
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As a species, we have lost the 'rites of passage' that initiate a young girl or boy into adulthood. By incorporating an indigenous worldview, we allow our next generation to learn from Elders, take radical responsibility and be cultural leaders that create belonging and wisdom.
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There is a lack of cultural leadership, cultural acceptance and tribal community.
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When we are truly and deeply connected to ourselves, we thrive in a community and tribe, embracing the role that each person plays, and respecting the land and all she gives.
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Our Action towards this initiative: Monthly Red Tent Women's Circles to create the space and discussion for women to join in healthy community, paying respect to the menstrual cycle and indigenous wisdom.
5. Loss of Creativity
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Our society has become left-brained dominant (Logical) and fails to acknowledge the importance of creativity, creative thinking and 'out of the box' ideas. Many students we interact with don't believe they are artists, or that there was only one artist in the family. Our creative potential is one of our greatest gifts, and reclaiming this is a powerful act of courage and self-love.
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When we are truly and deeply connected to ourselves, we appreciate and cultivate healthy levels of creative expression, unafraid to be who we are and lead a courageous pathway of positive and creative change in the world, embracing our innate gifts, talents and our own unique creative process.
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Our Action towards this initiative: Creative Art Workshops, Murals and Paintings.
3. Loss of Wholeness, Broken Family Systems and Lack of Healthy Femininity and Masculinity
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We are seeing 'independent women' not needing men, and women grinding, using masculine energy more than ever before and are actually creating loneliness and self-hate. We need each other. We each have feminine and masculine energy, and we believe in men being protectors, and women being healthy receivers.
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Mother Wounds are passed generationally from our mothers and determine our self-worth levels in the world. Healing this core wound is paramount to a woman embodying her wholeness. Additionally, a lot of us don't have healthy parents who have modelled healthy behavior, or have had rolemodels to display positive family systems.
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When we are truly and deeply connected to ourselves (as women), we learn to embrace and express our feminine essence, allow help from others, and create space for men to embrace their healthy masculinity.
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Our Action towards this initiative: Steph's Self-Published Book; Blooming, as well as Online Courses, including AWAkening and other meditations to support people in this process.
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I have lived in Riverton on the South Coast of New Zealand for 6+ years. Riverton is a very special place, surrounded by Ocean and still has remnants of native forest in the Longwoods, at Mores Reserve and the Pourakino. I met my partner here and we have been together for 6 years.
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My partner is a Boat Builder and we have lots of epic nature adventures together out on the dingy and in some beautiful places around New Zealand. We love the West Coast and all that our beautiful home has to offer. In summer, we are often off with the swag camping somewhere, and dreaming up new places to explore.
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In the season, you'll find us at the whitebait stand, enjoying the peace and quiet of Jacob's Estuary.
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I have held a multitude of creative abstract art workshops in Southland as well as having my own exhibition at the Riverton Art Centre, and painting lots of murals around Southland; including a large project with Hedgehope School. I supported the students to develop creatively, while developing a curriculum 'ki uta ki tai' as we painted the natural flow of water from the mountains to the sea.
I also painted 11 murals for the Invercargill CBD Revitalization Project.
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I am a lover of travel! I have travelled to Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tahiti, Singapore, Spain, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, USA (Arizona, California, Nevada), Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru - and most of our beautiful home, Aotearoa New Zealand.
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I have a podcast and Radio Show with Radio Southland called The WellSpring where I share wellness tips and insights into living more soul-led every week.
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I have been a Makeup Artist since age 20, and was grateful to receive Southland Makeup Artist of the Year, and have since worked on film, fashion shoots and runway, as well as tv advertisements and hundreds of brides for their special day!
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I have written three books; my most nearest and dearest called Blooming which is about the power of period blood, cycles, the power of being a woman and following the heart.
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I'm a passionate advocate for holistic wellness, personal empowerment, and spiritual growth.