About Us
As a family we have struggled with mental health conditions and chronic illness due to a combination or factors such as genetics, upbringing, trauma and modern life stresses. After seeing various GPs and other mainstream medical specialists searching for answers, we often left with no answers and scripts for medications which only treated individual symptoms, and not the root causes of our health issues.
We are not opposed to medications as they can be very helpful and in fact, we have all used medicine as part of our path to wellbeing. However, we wanted to understand and address the underlying causes behind the symptoms and to do this, we discovered Functional Medicine which looks at the body as a whole to find out what is causing the symptoms.
We discovered that diet was critical to our mental health and wellbeing and changed to eating nutrient dense whole foods and reducing our intake of sugar and highly processed foods (however we couldn't quite eliminate potato chips but we did change to a brand with the least amount of processed ingredients!). We took measures to get our digestive systems working properly, to care for our gut health and to reduce inflammation. We prioritised sleep, exercise and getting out in nature. We sought psychological support and learned mindfulness and meditation to regulate our nervous systems.
We want to share and make available to you some of the things that have helped us - health coaching, nutrient dense whole foods, green and herbal teas, gratitude and resilience journals, and crystals. Rather than searching lots of different websites, we have combined these elements into our website.
Please take some time to look around or contact us if you have any questions.
Kerryn, Warren and Ella Grace xxx
Meet our Family
Kerryn Parke
I get so much satisfaction from helping people as can been seen in my previous jobs as a psychologist, career counsellor and youth coach.
I’ve also had an interest in health and wellbeing and this has been heightened by our own mental health struggles and by my daughter’s chronic illness. She is our inspiration for starting this family business, hence the name Ella Grace Holistic Health.
When I wondered how I could combine my two passions, I discovered health coaching and after re-training through the MindBodyFood Institute, I am now ready and excited to begin my next career.
3 things about me:
1) I love, love, love ABBA!
2) I walked the Inca Trail in 2019 with a group of New Zealanders to raise funds for the Mental Health Foundation.
3) My go to activities when I am feeling stressed or anxious are: walking the dog by the river or beach, reading (I'm a true bibliophile and I get anxious if I don’t have a book on the go!), exercise, a cup of tea, mindful breathing and guided meditation, catching up with friends, or crocheting (my friend taught me how to crochet when I was really unwell with anxiety and I love it as I have to be ‘present’ and 100% focused, so it takes my mind of my worries - and I get to make beautiful things to give away which also makes me feel good).
Holistic Health Coach
Warren Parke
Merchandise Manager
I am a father to my daughter Ella and husband to Kerryn. I am inspired by their determination and strength despite the health challenges our family has had and still deals with.
My own health struggles stem from a family history of mental illness accentuated by my 23 years of military service. To manage my anxiety and depression I draw on the loving support of my family and doing what I find meaningful in alignment with my values such as being creative (writing) and productive (making wall art).
I also believe in living sustainably and am grateful to live in New Zealand/Aotearoa. Our easy access to nature allows me to escape modern life pressures and take slow, regenerating, mindful walks in the bush to reconnect with the natural environment, often including swims in rivers regardless of temperature and time of year!
My health journey has emphasized the importance of exercise, sleep and nutrition and with a science education, I understand this at the chemical and biological level. I have learnt that my body is a finely tuned instrument that requires care and attention.
I now have a desire to pass on what I know through this business, in the hope that we can help others who also struggle.
3 things about me:
1) Favourite movie: Walle.
2) Other interests: Tai chi, snorkeling, listening to alternative hard rock music, and watching sci-fi and superhero movies.
3) My go to anxiety busters are eating whole foods, controlled breathing, making my own herbal tea concoctions from the plants in our backyard, exercise, sleep hygiene, cold showers and a punching bag.
Ella Parke
Kia Ora! My name is Ella Grace (hence the name of our business). I have been unwell with multiple chronic illnesses for about half my life now. It has been really limiting in so many ways. I am unable to attend school and get a part-time job like a normal 17 year old.
My whānau and I were brainstorming one day about my goals and passions. I have a huge love of crystals and spirituality. I can feel the unique healing energy of each crystal and I have spent a lot of time researching crystals and their healing properties. I have quite a large collection now and want to share my knowledge with others!
One of my other passions is helping people. That’s why I feel I have been put on this planet. In fact, everyone in my family wants to help others because of our suffering and we want to make as much of a positive difference as we can. That’s why we decided to start our family business.
3 things about me:
1) I love music - both playing and listening. I play 5 instruments but my main one is the drums which I have been playing for 9 years now!
2) I go to horse riding for the disabled (RDA) and I love it! I ride a horse called Willow and she’s so pretty (that is her in the photo above).
3) I do makeup artistry (one of my coping techniques)! I have always loved art and in the past couple of years I decided to take it off paper and try it on my face! It’s one of my most favourite things to do.
Crystals Guru