Recognizing you need support is a big step.

OUR Mission

Hawaii Insight Therapy creates the opportunity to connect and develop new awareness about yourself through individual therapy and groups. The Insight lies within you. It is through your own interest, care for yourself, and willingness that this carefully attuned therapeutic process can take place. I am passionate about helping people navigate the confusing journey of life that we are on, especially when you feel like you have lost your way.

Why?

Because I have been there and it is the HUMAN experience. My approach is interpersonal, psychodynamic, cognitive and behavioral. I list these therapy terms but it is less about the type of therapy and more about whether the fit is right for you. I listen carefully to what you want and need and utilize an array of approaches to assist you. I am open, honest, and transparent and use the relationship we develop to help navigate this process.

We get hurt in relationships and we can heal in relationships.

THERAPY Experience

I trained as a Clinical Social Worker. This just means at the core of my practice is the understanding that we develop in complex social systems that make us who we are. It also means I am committed to social justice and strong ethics and values.

After attending college in Michigan and living and working in NYC, I decided to return to school to get my Masters in Social Work. I graduated with my MSW from Smith School of Social Work, a training institution on the East Coast specifically for Social Workers wanting to pursue direct work with people. I furthered my therapy skills in Seattle where I interned at a trauma center, learning many evidence based approaches to support adults who have experienced traumatic events, as well as children with severe trauma and behavioral issues. While in Seattle, I completed a certificate program in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and attended regular supervision to enhance my skill set. I provided individual, couples, group, child and family therapy to adults and children.

In 2010, I visited a friend on vacation in Hawaii. I fell in love with the island and culture so much so that I found a unique job that challenged me to grow. I helped with the creation of an Intensive Outpatient Program serving Active Duty Service Members. This was a great opportunity as not only did I become passionate about group work but I was humbled to work with Service Members and many local organizations including Honolulu Art Museum, Waimea Valley, Manoa Heritage Center, and Waianae Comprehensive Health Center. We integrated traditional Hawaiian healing practices and art to help Soldiers reconnect with themselves and the world.

My practice is informed by Western thought and science but at it's core is a deep appreciation for ancient wisdom and nature.

I enjoy learning and have training in the following approaches:

Psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
Prolongued Exposure (PE)
Somatic Processing
Parent Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i)
Interpersonal Neuroscience
Mindfulness
Level 1 Integrative Restoration (iRest)

I have taught Master's level courses at the University of Hawaii School of Social Work about psychological theories and Individual and Group Practice.

I am a member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Group Psychological Association. My Hawaii State License is LCSW 3948. I was previously licensed in WA State before transferring my LCSW to Hawaii.