In Aotearoa New Zealand, there are currently high numbers of Pacific people experiencing mental distress, with very low rates currently able to access mental health services. Research to date that focuses on Pacific Island peoples, report that the current mental health services are not addressing specific cultural needs effectively and are seen to be coercive, by operating within a dominant western biomedical worldview and interpretation of health. A culturally entrenched communal way of fishing, ūloa, was used to model a unique approach for mental health care service providers to engage People people in their mental health journeys. Talanoa is a Pacific methodology that captures Pacific worldviews in terms of how they engage, interact, relate to one another, and so forth. This presentation will highlight the need to use Pacific research methodology, talanoa, when researching Pacific health issues. It will also address how a Pacific model of care, ūloa model, is more effective when dealing with Pacific people experiencing mental health issues. Three research projects used talanoa and ūloa and all findings demonstrate the critical importance of drawing on cultural capital and resources like talanoa and ūloa (fishing), to support culturally appropriate improvements in mental health outcomes.