#45 Dean Clarkson

#45 Dean Clarkson

April 11, 2026 · 1h 3m

About this episode

Dave Letele interviews Dean Clarkson about his experiences with domestic violence and the creation of Wana, a refuge for men.

This week, Dave sits down with Dean Clarkson — founder of Wana, New Zealand’s first men’s refuge for domestic violence — for a raw kōrero about his life, and surviving domestic violence as a man. Although Dean grew up in a loving family, he lived through sexual abuse from both male & female family friends during his adolescence. As an adult, his 20-year marriage turned violent, leaving him feeling trapped with no where to turn to. Those experiences are what led him to create Wana — so men have somewhere to go, something he never had. While most domestic violence is experienced by women, this conversation highlights the reality that men can be victims too — and why more people need to feel safe to speak up and get support. Massive shoutout to Dean for coming onto the podcast: https://www.wana.services/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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