Feedback from those I worked with

We had the opportunity to invite Liese to deliver a Resilience and Team Building workshop to the palliative care staff of our service. Liese’s approach is absolutely client focused. I found that the time she took to understand the structure and function of the service value added tremendously on the day.

Liese is dynamic, inspirational, engaging and focussed. She holds her audience’s attention throughout.
Her facilitation style accurately achieved the goals of the workshop. The materials that were used during her workshop were relevant, precise and interactive. I was also impressed with her follow up after the workshop.

We would certainly like to get her back for future workshops and inspirational talks.

Dr.Greg Parker, MBBCh, FRACGP, FAChPM. Director Metro South Health,
Metro South Palliative Care Service, Brisbane, Australia

The opening and closing addresses by Liese Groot-Alberts were just so thought-provoking. Particularly standing out for me was Liese’s definition of Compassion: “a sustained and practical determination to do whatever is possible and necessary to alleviate suffering...”. I was also touched by Liese’s words on ‘the gaze’ “...a connecting with our heart that describes the unspoken in the middle that occurs. In Te Ao Maori, this unspoken presence is referred to as the ‘mauri’. Liese highlighted: “Get the ‘mauri’ right, then the rest of the relationship will come...when we connect and we are together, we stand on sacred ground, honouring that space.”

The above stood out for me because I believe the Hui reflected over the three days a real commitment to try ‘and get the mauri right’.

Kia ora koe e hine, Yes you captured what our opening speaker was trying to get us to focus on. She was brilliant and she drew us all into her magic of being caring to each other. I have never known a person who could really get down to my mauri like she did. We all needed that "massage" because we had a year of working our butts off with the mahi we do, so we were vulnerable. But she settled us into a brilliant hui for carers. Thank you for saying all that, because she needed her own kind of acknowledgement. Kia kaha e kare ki te whikoi i roto i touna ao. Na te kuia. Tuti

Association for Counsellors National Conference May 2013
New Zealand

I met Liese Groot-Alberts when the palliative care research team I was working with required a clinical supervisor to help us debrief after interviewing bereaved families and whanau. Liese was my obvious choice of supervisor because she has a vast knowledge of loss and grief theory and clinical practice and I knew she would know how to support us to work with the complexities associated with the issues we were facing. Since then I have had the pleasure of presenting some research findings to an indigenous grief conference in Aotearoa New Zealand alongside Liese and Sir Mason Durie who were also both invited to present. One of the greatest gifts I think Liese draws from is her ability to see people holistically (i.e. in the fullness of their mind/emotions, physical and spiritual dimensions). She is capable of traversing, and helping others traverse (as well as connect) the bridges between self and others; this is very healing. Her ability to intuitively sense and know the complexities of life and the way life experiences imprint themselves upon the psyche/soul is what makes her an empathic ‘knower,’ listener and story-teller.

Dr Tess Moeke-Maxwell (Ngai Tai, Ngati Porou)
PhD. B Soc Sci (with First Class Hons) MNZAC, Research Fellow, School of Nursing, Auckland University
New Zealand

Thank you very much for the experience I have had during the 2 days workshop. Not only I learnt how to communicate or self-care. But I also learnt how to respect each others and to create positive atmosphere so everyone feel comfortable just being the way they are. I realize that working in prison environment can be exhausting both physically and mentally. My team and I need to support each other by sharing the positive energy between us so we can keep doing our tasks with less burdens in our hearts. I wish I can be just like you all, giving support to my team so the positive atmosphere will be maintained and keep us strong as a team.

Dr Astia Murni, prison doctor in Jakarta

Thank you, you are a beautiful person and soul which was well reflected in your presentation style.
This really assisted with being able to be open and honest.
Brilliant!! What a great day - nurturing and empowering - just what we all need.

Metro South Palliative Care Brisbane, Australia

Liese is a gifted presenter and therapist, who’s work reflects a profound understanding of loss, grief and the significance of hope.

Dr. Margaret Agee, Co-ordinator counsellor education program
Faculty of Education, University of Auckland, New Zealand