Brock Van Leeuwen. ConTact Care Foundation Instructor, Human / Equine

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I live in Papamoa, Bay of Plenty, with my wife Verena and our two sons, Lukas and Felix. Growing up around farms gave me a practical, get-the-job-done attitude — and a sensitivity for what was needed for the animals and the land.

Riding horses gave me a heightened sense of feel. Travelling across New Zealand and the Australian Northern Territory breaking in horses taught me to observe how the body operates under pressure — how it protects itself, where it locks up, and how it lets go when the conditions are right. Martial arts has taught me the same lessons from the inside.

I came across ConTact C.A.R.E after a horse-riding injury. The first treatment changed something I didn't know could be changed. I gravitated toward the work, trained with Dale Speedy in Ngatea, and have been in practice ever since.

My understanding of bodies, work, and presence has been shaped by teachers I'm grateful for:

— My dad, who taught me how to work.

— Ken Dromgool, who taught me horsemanship — how to read an animal's signals and respond with feel.

— Dave Prescott, who trained me as an instructor and taught me that simplicity matters.

— Dale Speedy, founder of ConTact C.A.R.E, who taught me this work directly — and showed me there is no limit in our ability to help.

Without any of them, I'm not the practitioner I am. I carry their teaching forward.

I'm now a Certified Practitioner and Foundation Instructor in both Human and Equine pathways, teaching this work in the Bay of Plenty and beyond. My approach is simple, sensible, and grounded in what I've found to be true through years of practice.

Our understanding of the body — and the way we relate to the world through it — is still growing. I'm glad to be a part of that, and glad you're here to learn alongside me.

Brock