Welcome to The Path Program
This innovative, ACC-funded group therapy experience blends EMDR and poi to support trauma recovery in a way that honours both science and culture.
Guided by Te Whare Tapa Whā, each session invites movement, reflection, and connection - helping you rebuild balance across body, mind, whānau, and spirit.
Whether you’re beginning your healing journey or continuing along it, The Path Program offers a safe space to reconnect with yourself, your strength, and your story.
The Path Program
Poi Assisted Therapy
The Path Program is designed to support your haerenga whakaora, your journey of healing from trauma.
We are honoured to bring this kaupapa to life through a collaboration between Trauma Aid Aotearoa and SpinPoi.
What is the Path Program?
The Path Program is Aotearoa’s first poi-assisted EMDR therapy program for ACC clients.
For the first time, we bring together the two powerful healing traditions of rongoā o te roro (the healing of the mind) and rongoā o te tinana (the healing of the body) to support your brain’s natural capacity for recovery.
How it works, for everyone.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing is an evidence-based approach that helps your brain and body gently re-process distressing experiences so they can be stored in a calmer, more adaptive way.
You remain in control at every step, and the healing happens through your own natural processing, supported by rhythmic bilateral stimulation. With The Path Program, you never have to describe your trauma in detail.
Poi practice provides that same bilateral rhythm in a way that feels grounded and uplifting. Through a curated series of gentle movements developed by SpinPoi and based on clinical research, poi invites calm, balance, and safety within yourself and your surroundings. The steady rhythm of spinning your poi can soothe the nervous system and offers a deep sense of connection to body, mind, and spirit.
Ready to learn more?
The Path Program is delivered in structured, eight-session online cohorts. Our facilitators are leaders in the fields of trauma therapy and integrating poi into healthcare settings.
Our online sessions begin in February 2026, and we are accepting referrals now.
Participants must have an active ACC Sensitive Claim to enroll. Lead Providers are encouraged to submit referrals early, as groups will reach capacity.
Our expert team of facilitators will support your clients throughout their time with The Path Program.
