About
Culture & Mental Health Counseling
The Scientific Research
Cultural Psychology and Cross Cultural Psychological researchers have been doing scientific research for decades. There are multiple scientific journals that have produced mountains of evidence that in a nutshell say, treatment must adapt to the culture. I provide mental health counseling from an eclectic array of evidence based treatments that are modified to your unique culture.
A Polynesian kupuna (elder) would tell me emphatically, "I am my own culture!" He would list the origins of his racial ancestry which came from Polynesia and Asia. He would then share a Polynesian cultural value that he didn't agree with and why. The point is, culture is unique to each individual. You are your own culture. Molokai Mental Health strives to make mental health counseling open to your own unique culture.
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You can be yourself to heal.
Culturally Competent Treatment
​Growing up, I went through some difficulties that left me dealing with symptoms of PTSD. I suddenly found myself in need of help and no cultural practitioner to help me. This was long before the advent of video chat so, I had to move many miles back home to get the help I needed. After getting fixed up by my cultural practitioners, I decided to go back to school and study mental health counseling so there would be space for diverse cultures in mental health counseling. The result is, I teach you coping tools and your culture fills in the blanks. You end up using your own culture and faith (if applicable) to heal yourself.
I was raised around lots of different cultures growing up, particularly Indigenous cultures from the Americas. I quickly learned to respect everyone's cultural values. I also learned that by exploring these differences, it has deeply enriched my life personally. This passion led to several trips around the world learning and exploring cultures from within.
Folks from Hawaiian and Polynesian cultures will quickly recognize a space and respect for their culture and faith/spirituality. Regardless of your culture or mixes of cultures and regardless of faith or lack there of, you can be rest assured that you will not only be respected but these values will help us navigate your counseling.
​I teach culturally universal tools (evidence based) to empower my clients so they don't need me. We learn the tools, we apply them to your issues, we learn to refine them, and once a client has the hang of it we're done. When done, people come back to refine things here and there but for the most part they don't need a therapist. Most clients find the duration of treatment surprisingly short. But there are some situations where the trauma from someone's past was ongoing and this can take a while to work through. I'm here to support you on your healing journey regardless of the duration.
Insurance
Molokai Mental Health accepts several medical insurances and provides affordable payment plans for those without insurance. ​Mental health counseling is only available to residents and visitors of Washington State or Hawaii. Many insurances accepted: AlohaCare, HMSA (Quest, Advantage, etc..), Regence Blue Shield, Premera Blue Cross, and most Blue Shield/Blue Cross from the various states around the United States.
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For those out of state and out of country we offer Life Coaching. This service is for those without a mental illness and seeking some tools and direction for a life issue(s). If you do have a mental illness or medical need, you are required to see a local professional in you area if getting Life Coaching.
Regardless, come prepared with the courage and commitment to heal.