Justine Hamill and Blain Collinge are the Kaihautū / Co‑Leaders of Red Door Recovery, a kaupapa‑driven addiction recovery service grounded in lived experience, cultural connection, and transformative care.
Together, they stand at the heart of Red Door — guiding individuals and whānau through some of life’s most challenging journeys with empathy, authenticity, and unwavering belief in the possibility of change.
Justine Hamill brings a deeply grounded presence shaped by both professional expertise and her own journey of healing.
As Kaihautū, she weaves together multiple dimensions of leadership — from group facilitation and one‑on‑one therapeutic support to business management and the many unseen responsibilities that ensure the whare remains safe, steady, and thriving. A devoted mother of three adult children and one young step‑daughter, she balances whānau life alongside continued academic study, currently completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Mental Health and Addiction at Te Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.
Her knowledge is extensive and multidisciplinary, spanning homeopathy, advanced yoga teacher training, and Gestalt Psychotherapy.
Prior to joining Red Door Recovery, Justine co‑owned Awhi Yoga & Wellbeing, where she guided people back to connection with their body, breath, and wairua — a grounding philosophy she continues to embody today. Known for her intuitive leadership style, she is both gentle and deeply honest — offering compassion while not shying away from necessary challenge. She is a powerful advocate for wāhine and a steady influence supporting tāne to rebuild confidence, reclaim mana, and reconnect with their identity.
Blain Collinge stands alongside her as a strong pou within the organisation — a leader whose commitment is rooted in lived experience and daily action. His role spans leadership, relationship building, group facilitation and recovery coaching, alongside providing a consistent and driven presence for tangata whaiora. Red Door Recovery was originally founded by his parents, and today Blain carries that legacy forward with passion, integrity, and relentless dedication to the kaupapa.
His journey is one of profound transformation. Within the past five years, Blain has moved from being immersed in the justice and addiction system to becoming a respected leader, a dedicated father, and an example of what recovery makes possible. He works extensively with at‑risk youth through LSV and has facilitated Addiction 101 programmes with Blueprint for Learning across Aotearoa, using his story to inspire hope and practical change.
Together, Justine and Blain are known for their ability to meet people where they are — recognising the roots of addiction, understanding patterns of trauma, and supporting sustainable pathways to healing. Their leadership is grounded in manaakitanga, accountability, and belief in human potential.
They share a collective vision: to break cycles of addiction, strengthen whānau, and create generational change. Their work reflects a simple but powerful truth — that recovery is possible, change is possible, and no one walks the journey alone.
As reflected in their kaupapa: He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata — it is the people, always the people, who matter most.
Talking Points
Understanding Addiction & Trauma
Addiction touches every facet of current society. Having an understanding the addiction is more than just the use of alcohol and drugs and the drivers or trauma/disconnection that lead to unsuccessful self soothing gives us the capacity to support family, friends, colleagues and staff who suffer in an impactful way. Justine and Blain share from a lived experience standpoint, experience in working in drug and alcohol treatment centre and the therapeutic aspects of addiction and recovery.
Understanding Addiction & Trauma
Transforming challenges into purpose & legacy
Both Justine and Blain have lived experience in addiction, challenging life circumstance and prison/criminal life (Blain), growing up with a father in prison, addiction and crime (Justine). They are both examples of people that have transformed their suffering into purpose, doing the mahi to heal and creating a legacy and positive impact on society while changing the lives of others daily in their work at Red Door Recovery. They both believe that no matter what a person has suffered, everyone has the ability to thrive and inspire if supported in the right way.
Transforming challenges into purpose & legacy
Healing in relationship
Whether healing in an intimate relationship or healing through our friendships or work relationships as human beings we are wired for authentic connection. Our life experiences can create limiting beliefs and unsuccessful ways of relating to each other that impact the quality of how we communicate and relate. Blain and Justin facilitate group therapy & dialectical behavioural therapy groups daily that draw out limiting beliefs, uncover the patterns that leading to disconnection and teach ways to be self aware and make the changes required to connect authentically, communicate effectively and feeling fulfilled in the way we relate and inspire as human beings. Blain and Justine are also a couple and share on how our closest relationships can be our greatest triggers and our greatest opportunity for growth and healing.
Healing in relationship
