Vanessa Kite

Vanessa Kite is a committed mental health clinician based in Kaitaia, Aotearoa New Zealand, specialising in addiction, trauma, and violence. As a Māori woman of Te Aupouri, Ngai Takoto, and Ngāti Kuri descent, she weaves cultural knowledge into her practice.

Vanessa leads Rakau Ora, a mental health service in Kaitaia, where she promotes peer support education and supports whānau on their recovery journeys. She draws on her own lived experience with addiction and mental health to inform her practice.

She advocates for culturally responsive care and works to address intergenerational trauma, empowering whānau and marginalised communities. Her mahi bridges clinical expertise with cultural understanding to enhance outcomes for Māori and others affected by addiction and mental distress.