By mid-1986, it became clear that a viable, full-time professional collaboration between these three, probably independent of Spreydon Baptist, but endorsed by that Congregation, was indeed possible, and planning began in earnest to achieve this. By November of that year, Brian and Murray began working together, to offer assessments and counselling from a soon-to-be-demolished cottage ('The Green House'), adjacent to the Spreydon Church. A group of counsellor trainees were selected, and an apprentice-style internship begun from this building in February 1987.
Ongoing discussions with the leadership of the church confirmed that this venture would proceed on an independent course, and so in early 1987, a Registered Charitable Trust, The Spreydon Health & Family Trust was formed, providing the legal entity through which the property presently occupied by the Centre, was purchased in June of that year.
Extensive additions and renovations were carried out, even as early counselling services were provided from the partially completed building. Eventually, John's general medical practice, and Brian's specialist allergy & immunology practice were able to be relocated there in 1988. The complex was officially opened by the local Sydenham electorate MP, Hon. Jim Anderton, in October that year.
Many Christian businesses and private individuals generously contributed by way of outright grants or interest-free loans to enable this venture to be established. We continue to gratefully acknowledge their practical commitment to this vision.
The Arahura Centre, has continued to embrace a strong training emphasis amongst it's services, many of the core staff having completed the original training internship, and gone on to teach and supervise in counselling and psychotherapy, both through Arahura's own programmes and via other agencies in the city. In 1999, these activities of the Centre were administratively divided off, and incorporated into The Institute for Integrative Health Studies, with it's course work provided by Centre staff contracted to it for this purpose.

...and what about the name?


The three of us debated this back and forth for some time, reaching for something that would capture the 'flavour' of our integrative endeavour, our Kiwi distinctiveness, and at the same time underscore the essential 'not-knowingness', yet profound intrigue that we understood many, if not all authentic healing journeys to involve. Murray consulted with Rev. Maurice Gray, at that time with the Department of Maori Studies at the University of Canterbury, and a number of words and phrases were proposed and tested for their appropriateness. 'Arahura' was eventually chosen; a literal translation would be 'Pathway to Discovery', and in so many countless ways over subsequent years, this name has become synonymous with the often challenging explorations of both the patients/clients, and of the staff themselves in their learnings and collaborations within the Centre. We remain very grateful to both Maurice, and through him, the Arahura people of the West Coast of the South Island of Aotearoa-New Zealand, for their gracious consent to it's use.