About Us

Toni McErlane, B.Sc.

Counsellor, Ecotherapist, Mediator, Nonviolent Communication facilitator & Nature Connection Guide

Toni is the director and primary counsellor for Restorative Relationships. She has developed a wide array of approaches to working in the field of restorative relationships. She obtained a Bachelors Degree in Counselling, The American certificate in horticulture therapy and has completed a 94hr Professional Ecotherapy Program with Dave Talamo from Wilderness Reflections in California.

She completed the North American yearlong Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Leadership Programme, and has trained extensively in conflict resolution, restorative circles, wilderness therapy, Hakomi for couples, mindfulness & somatic approaches to working with trauma. Toni is an AMINZ associate Family Dispute Resolution Provider (FDR) and in 2017 completed the year long Te reo Maori level Two through Te Wananga o Aotearoa.

Her approach towards supporting healthy relationships is from the humanistic and ecolgocial perspective that all of our actions are attempts to meet needs and that we all have the intrinsic possibility to actualize our potential to wholeness. That our emotions are helpful guides that orientate us towards surviving and thriving; and that by cultivating an “allowing” presence with our emotions, we can develop a comfortable, trusting relationship with them. That our relationship with nature is a vital aspect of both developing a complete sense of self, place, belonging and self growth.