Meet Kaniwa

Certified Life Coach, Māori Midwife & Wāhine Mentor

Kia ora e hoa, I’m Kaniwa.

Ko Hikurangi te maunga, ko Waiapu te awa, ko Ngāti Porou te iwi, heoi - he mokopuna au ki Ngāti Apakura me Ngati Hikairo hoki. I was raised in Tāmaki Makaurau and now live in Tūranganui‑a‑Kiwa with my husband and our five tamariki. I am of Māori and Pakeha descent, and my whakapapa deeply shapes the way I walk alongside wāhine.

I’m a Life Coach, wāhine mentor, registered midwife of 15 years, Master’s‑educated researcher and writer, and a kaupapa Māori maternal and neonatal wellbeing consultant. My mahi is grounded in clinical knowledge, mātauranga Māori, lived experience, wairuatanga, and a deep commitment to strengthening wāhine, māmā, whānau, and communities.

My Journey

I became a midwife in my early twenties while raising my first two babies - navigating hardship, identity shifts, and the realities of being a young māmā. Those experiences shaped the way I support others today: with compassion, honesty, cultural grounding, and practical tools that genuinely help.

Over the years, I’ve supported thousands of wāhine through birth, burnout, healing, relationship changes, career transitions, study pressures, and the emotional load of mamahood and modern life. I’ve also worked across community midwifery, kaupapa Māori service design, public health, research, education, and advocacy.

These experiences taught me that wāhine carry immense strength - but we also carry heavy loads. And we deserve spaces where we can breathe, be held, be guided and reconnect with ourselves.

Ready to Begin?

If this kōrero resonates with you, I'd love to walk alongside you.

Book A Consultation

Current membership and board participation

He Hono Wahine

My Coaching Philosophy

I trained as a Life Coach through the New Zealand Institute of Business, completing a Diploma in Life Coaching to deepen my ability to support the hinengaro, tinana, and wairua in a holistic, balanced way. My coaching helps wāhine reconnect with their mauri, strengthen their wellbeing, heal what needs healing, and step into the next chapter of their lives with clarity and confidence.

I believe in the power of wāhine to access the past, be present, and influence the future. Strengthening wairua upon Papatūānuku is central to navigating everyday life as a māmā with steadiness, self-trust, and purpose.

My coaching blends:

Holistic wellbeing
Cultural grounding
Emotional clarity
Practical tools
Wairua-centred guidance
Evidence-based practice
Lived experience

This is coaching that sees the whole wahine, not just the symptoms, stressors, or surface-level challenges.

Why I Coach

My heart lies in Māmāhood Life Coaching & Wāhine Mentoring - supporting wāhine through the chapters that shape us; Identity, relationships, study, mahi, mamahood, healing and personal growth.

I walk alongside wāhine who are ready to:

Reconnect with themselves
Reclaim their energy
Heal old patterns
Strengthen their wairua
Build confidence
Navigate change
Step into their next version

If you're navigating a big chapter - nau mai.

You don't have to do it alone.