Hawaii Medical Services Association Therapists in Pahoa, HI

I enjoy working with individuals, couples, and families. We all are impacted by the families we grew up in, events we experienced and the relationships in our lives. It impacts how we view ourselves and the world around us. It determines how we respond to people and events. If you struggle with anxieties, depression, life challenges, and transitions, therapy can open new doors. I view therapy as a collaboration - walking together for a stretch to resolve issues or conflicts you would like to work on.

I work with survivors of PTSD and Complex trauma, including relationship trauma and dissociation disorders. Common issues my clients present with include challenges with setting relationship boundaries with friends and family, coping with intense emotions, and an inability to be decisive in small or big life choices. Many are survivors of sexual or physical childhood abuse. Others say "childhood wasn't that bad," but have an intense inner critic and struggle with attracting and maintaining positive relationships and occupations, and are often unaware of the impact of emotional neglect and harsh criticism they experienced.

Need someone to talk to or just listen? Are you struggling with unwanted feelings and behaviors? Are these feelings and behaviors affecting you daily at home, work or in school? If so, let me help you understand and manage your emotions, and social well being. These attainable life skills will contribute to improving self-awareness, balance, positive relationships, good health, and wellness.

I believe that each individual is doing the best they can, and that given empathy, unconditional positive regard and respect they can come to a greater sense of self-acceptance leading to a better functioning life. My approach is tailored to the individual, using humanistic, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral elements to facilitate the best outcomes. I have experience working with anxiety, depression, bipolar and personality disorders, as well as women's issues, domestic violence, substance abuse, and issues involving poverty.

I've had a psychotherapy practice in rural Pahoa for 18 years. Psychotherapy/Counseling works best when clients are met by someone who really cares AND the therapist has a wide-range of psycho-therapeutic skills and Life Experience. I work with anxiety, trauma, depression, bi-polar, grief, coping skills and other challenges. In addition to individual sessions, I offer couples counseling and mediation. Previously I've worked for the Hawaii Dept of Health, Mental Health Division; hospice patients as Director of SW at Hospice Hawaii and at Oahu Community Correctional Center.

Aloha, and thank you for taking a look at my profile. Feeling stuck? Not sure what narrative about you or this life you should focus on? Intention and manifestation are important pieces, as is acceptance and presence with all of a persons parts. I focus on the parts, the pieces to bring together the wholeness and happiness that are there, just is sometimes challenging to tap into or tap back into.

Handling life's challenges with presence of mind is not always easy. We here at Presence of Mind Counseling can help you identify what is contributing to your distress and assist you in finding a path toward consciously creating your best life. We help people dealing with challenging life issues from relationship stresses, family turmoil, trauma, grief and loss, gender and/or sexual identity, anxiety, depression and beyond. We also work with people who simply want to find more meaning, purpose, fulfillment and joy in their lives. We offer remote video sessions for WA and HI residents. Call to connect with a therapist today.

Therapy can be the opportunity to explore our lives in a safe space and unpack why we feel stuck. I encourage my clients to discuss what they want to see happen in their life and work with them on developing goals. I use a combination of family structure, emotional focus and family of origin modes of therapy in my practice. Therapy for some can be a new experience and I honor that.

My goal is to provide therapy to children, adolescents, individuals, and families to maximize their happiness and health through self reflection and the development of strong balanced relationships.

My ideal clients actively collaborate in a non-judgmental, respectful, compassionate, therapeutic setting to uncover and process unresolved trauma that prevents them from realizing their goals. We discuss the benefits and risks of therapy, as we develop workable solutions that are tailored to clients' personalities, and use empirical assessments to monitor clients' progress toward personal goals, increased self-awareness, and self-actualization.

When painful thoughts and emotions arise, they can make us feel paralyzed and miserable. We think about our painful experiences and feel the same agony over and over again! We worry about the future and feel a sense of dread and fear about things that have not yet happened! We want to get rid of the pain, but if we try to eliminate painful thoughts and feelings, it's like trying to plug a high pressure leak and the water keeps finding a weak spot to burst out again! What else can we do? We can accept feelings with compassion because they show us what's most important. We can observe thoughts, then act from choice instead of fear.

Shannon's dedication lies in ensuring her clients feel understood, fostering their self-trust, and supporting them in finding security in the present. She cherishes qualities like empathy and the capacity to understand people’s differences. Shannon has worked with individuals from across all age groups, from those approaching the end of life to those embarking on the journey into adulthood. She has helped individuals navigate the impacts of various mental health challenges, including complex trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and ADHD.

Anuhea St. Laurent is from Kāneʻohe, Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu and currently lives in Keaʻau, Puna, Hawaiʻi with her ʻohana of five. She graduated from Kamehameha Schools Kapālama, earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, completed her Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology at Chaminade University and is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Anuhea began studying psychology in 2003 and working in the mental health field in 2009. She has experience helping children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity and Autism Spectrum Disorders as a Behavior Specialist, mentoring at-risk adolescents.

Aloha, are you needing support and looking for freedom from internal strain, anxiety, worry, depression, trauma and relationship issues? In today's culture with fewer connections to communities and cultures, it gives much less support to you and it's important to reach out. It’s time to explore and develop the richness and capacities within you for improved understanding, awareness and self-direction through body, mind, emotion & spirit practices and tools.

G. Francis Giles MSW, LSW received a Bachelor of Arts from Northeastern Illinois University and a Master of Social Work/Clinical Concentration from New Mexico Highlands University. His work today is informed by experiences in geriatric residential care, in-patient adult psychiatric, crisis intervention, school settings, gender identity and orientation, and hospice. I have a humanistic approach to therapy that is eclectic an d holistic in nature, primarily integrating elements of narrative theory, psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy which is grounded in mindfulness.

What is psychotherapy, and why would you want to receive it? For me, psychotherapy is communication. It is a means of reflecting you back to yourself in a way that is instructive, enlightening, and healing. If you are experiencing low self-esteem, depression, thoughts of suicide, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, or fearfulness about the future, you could benefit from psychotherapy.

Emily is passionate about helping individuals heal from trauma, cope with anxiety, manage mood disorders, and navigate life transitions. As a counseling professional, she is dedicated to creating a safe space for clients of all backgrounds to explore challenges, overcome obstacles, and achieve their goals. Emily earned her BA from St. Edward’s University in 2020 and holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling Psychology from the University of Hawai’i at Hilo.

Tom is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Consciousness, Spirituality, and Integrative Health at Saybrook University. Tom also received his MA in Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology. Tom wrote his master's thesis on the therapeutic use of the circular art form known as mandalas. Tom earned his BA in Human Development at Prescott College. There he worked with the Prescott Unified School District to create recreation-based behavioral interventions for 8-10 year-olds diagnosed with ADHD.

Aloha, here at Akua Family Therapy our specialty is relationship therapy. We serve couples and individuals who are looking to improve their relationships, and process relationship distress. Couples who are looking to strengthen communication, conflict management and/or increase intimacy should give us a call. If you would like to process your relationship distress individually, we help men and woman work through relationship struggles by helping you build insight into your relationship dynamics and support you toward improved overall health and functioning. We also provide Anger Assessments and Parenting Psycho-education Support.