Liminal Rhythm Trust

01/06/2026

We’ll be opening registrations soon for the next EmpowerME programme.

EmpowerME is an 8-week, structured online programme designed to support wāhine in moving beyond survival — through guided sessions, practical tools, and connection with others on a similar path.

This programme is fully funded for survivors, as part of our commitment to increasing access to meaningful, long-term support.

Because of this, we keep numbers intentionally limited to ensure the space remains safe, supported, and well-held.

We’ll be sharing more details shortly.

If this feels like something you might need, you’re welcome to:

– Follow this page for updates

– Or send us a message to express interest

29/05/2026

Over the past few years, the EmpowerME programme has supported over 80 wāhine across Aotearoa through online cohorts and retreats.

The work is not always linear.

But what we consistently see is:
– Increased emotional awareness
– Stronger connection to self and others
– Greater confidence in navigating life beyond survival

The structure matters.
The community matters.

The space to do the work properly matters.

This is what we continue to build on.

26/05/2026

We’re preparing to open our next EmpowerME programme.

EmpowerME is an 8-week, structured online programme designed to support wāhine in moving beyond survival — at a pace that allows for real understanding, integration, and change.

It’s not a quick fix.
And it’s not designed to be.

It’s a space to:
– Understand your experiences more clearly
– Reconnect with yourself in a grounded way
– Build tools that support long-term wellbeing
– Do that alongside others who understand

We’ll be sharing more details soon.

If this feels like something you might need, you’re welcome to stay connected here or reach out to express interest.

23/05/2026

“I didn’t realise how much I was still holding until I had the space to actually feel it.”

This is something we hear often through the EmpowerME programme.

Not in the middle of crisis.
But afterwards.

When things are meant to be “better” —
but there’s still tension in the body,
disconnection from self,
or a sense of not quite knowing how to move forward.

The work of moving beyond survival isn’t always visible.
It happens slowly.
In moments of awareness, connection, and rebuilding.

This is the space EmpowerME is designed to support.
Quietly, and over time.

20/05/2026

There’s a point where things look like they should be better.

You’re no longer in immediate crisis.
You might even be functioning day to day.

But something still doesn’t feel settled.

There can still be:
– Disconnection from yourself
– Difficulty trusting others
– A sense of being stuck between who you were and who you’re becoming

This part isn’t always visible.
And it doesn’t always have clear support around it.

It’s not about surviving anymore — but it’s not quite thriving either.

This is the space we build for. The Liminal space
Quietly, and over time.

18/05/2026

Liminal Rhythm Trust supports the current petition calling for “good character” evidence to no longer be considered in sentencing for sexual offending in Aotearoa.

Not because we believe punishment alone creates healing.

But because we believe survivors deserve justice systems that centre harm over reputation.

For too long, many survivors of sexual harm have experienced a devastating contradiction:
the person who harmed them was also the person most likely to be protected by community standing, professional status, social influence, or public likability.

Many sexual offenders are not hidden from society.

They are often trusted by society.

Respected.
Successful.
Educated.
Liked.
Embedded within families, workplaces, leadership, faith communities, and institutions.

And this matters.

Because one of the deepest wounds many survivors carry is not only the abuse itself —
but the experience of watching systems struggle to reconcile harm with respectability.

When survivors sit in court and hear extensive testimony about an offender’s “good character,” contribution to society, career success, or community reputation, many do not experience that as balanced justice.

They experience it as a continuation of the same conditions that allowed abuse to remain unseen, minimised, excused, or disbelieved in the first place.

At Liminal Rhythm Trust, we work specifically alongside wāhine navigating life after sexual harm.

We see the long-term impacts of trauma every day:
the nervous system injuries,
the loss of safety,
the impact on parenting,
relationships,
identity,
health,
economic stability,
and the exhausting labour of rebuilding a life after violation.

We also see how profoundly survivors are affected when systems appear to place greater weight on the future, reputation, or social value of the offender than on the lifelong impact carried by those harmed.

This is not about denying complexity or humanity.

It is about recognising that social respectability is not evidence of safety.

And it is about acknowledging that “good character” considerations can disproportionately advantage those who already hold social power, credibility, education, wealth, or influence.

Survivors should not have to compete against reputation in order for harm to be fully recognised.

We do not believe this proposed change alone will repair the deep systemic failures survivors continue to face across justice, health, mental health, and social systems.

But we do believe systems communicate values.

And for too long, many survivors have received the message that public image can soften the gravity of sexual harm.

We believe that needs to change.

At its core, this conversation is about whose reality systems are designed to centre.

Liminal Rhythm Trust stands firmly alongside survivors in calling for systems that prioritise accountability, dignity, safety, and survivor voice over social standing and offender image.



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Petitions are addressed to the House of Representatives and ask that the House do something about a policy or law, or put right a local or private concern.

18/05/2026

Liminal Rhythm Trust is a registered charity (CC64521) supporting wāhine to move beyond survival.

Our work sits in a space that is often overlooked — what happens after the immediate support ends.

Not crisis response.
Not early intervention.

But the longer process of rebuilding identity, connection, and direction.

We do this through:
– Structured online programmes
– In-person retreats
– Community-led experiences
– Ongoing innovation through Milwaka AI

Everything we build is grounded in lived experience, and designed to support long-term, sustainable change.

If you’re new here, welcome.
You can follow along here for updates, or explore more as we continue to build.

11/05/2026

One of the gaps we consistently see in the mental health and sexual harm systems sits beyond crisis support.

There are services designed for immediate response.
There are pathways for early intervention.

But what happens after that?

For many wāhine, the longer-term process of rebuilding — identity, connection, confidence, and direction — is less clearly supported.

This is not a short process.
And it doesn’t fit neatly into existing service structures.

It unfolds over time, often in ways that require both individual and collective support.

This is the space Liminal Rhythm Trust is building into.

Not crisis response.
Not early intervention.

But the longer arc beyond survival.

Creating pathways that are accessible, relational, and able to support sustained change over time.

03/05/2026

So what does Liminal Rhythm Trust actually do?

We’re building pathways for wāhine beyond survival — through a combination of structured programmes, in-person retreats, and ongoing innovation.

Our work currently centres around three key areas:

Programmes
Online, structured pathways designed to support wāhine in understanding their experiences, rebuilding emotional awareness, and developing tools for long-term wellbeing.

Retreats
In-person spaces that bring together community, somatic practices, and guided support — creating opportunities for connection, integration, and rest.

Innovation (Milwaka AI)
The development of a trauma-informed, AI-supported tool designed to increase access to support, particularly in moments where traditional services are unavailable.

These are not separate offerings — they are designed to work together.
We’re building an ecosystem of support that meets wāhine at different points in their journey, and holds the longer arc beyond survival.

This is what we’re here to build.

01/05/2026

Introducing Tamara Waugh, Rhythm Keeper (Chair) of Liminal Rhythm Trust.

Tamara brings lived experience leadership alongside a background in trauma-informed practice, programme development, digital mental health, and systems-level work across the mental health and wellbeing sector.

Her experience includes working alongside some of the most complex areas of the system — including forensic environments, prison settings, and high-needs care contexts — as well as contributing to policy and advisory work across government, uniformed services, and academic spaces.

This has shaped an evidence-informed approach to her work — understanding how people move through (and fall through) services, and what is required to build pathways that can hold complexity over time.

Her work centres on supporting wāhine beyond survival — integrating emotional intelligence, somatic healing, and community-based connection.

At Liminal Rhythm Trust, Tamara guides the overall vision and direction of the organisation — ensuring the work remains grounded in lived experience, integrity, and long-term impact.

We’re proud to have Tamara helping guide this work.