Meet Our Team
Manuel “Manny” Iakopo
Clinical Therapist
With over a decade of hands-on experience, Manny takes the helm as the owner and director of Legacy Connect. His impressive credentials include being an accredited counsellor with a Bachelor of Counselling and an ongoing pursuit of a Masters in Suicidology. Not stopping there, Manny is also a Certified Trauma Specialist and a Behaviour Support Practitioner, approved by the NDIS. His journey is marked by diverse roles, from owning Legacy Counselling Services to providing support for troubled youth and individuals with disabilities in residential care. Manny has also managed addiction programmes in a variety of settings, and he has dedicated over a decade to serving as a Pasifika youth spiritual mentor. In addition, he spent five impactful years as a therapist and addiction facilitator within the prison system, catering to both adult and juvenile populations, as well as inpatient and outpatient addiction rehabilitation centres.Specialising in trauma, addiction, anxiety and depression, couples therapy, and family therapy, Manny's expertise is a beacon of hope for those in need.
Maua "Mack" Tafilipepe
Community Services Specialist
Maua's journey spans over 20 years of dedicated service to communities, blending a wealth of experiences and passions. Maua has left an indelible mark as a Pasifika spiritual mentor, a facilitator of health and wellbeing programmes, and a trusted support for troubled youth. Armed with a Diploma of Community Services, his commitment extends to nurturing positive change on both local and global scales. Before settling in New Zealand and Australia, Maua spent meaningful years in America, working closely with African American and Hispanic young offenders. Yet, amidst his professional accomplishments, Maua's greatest achievement in life is “marrying the most amazing woman and raising an incomparable son”.
