Yes. I currently accept HMAA insurance and am in the process of adding additional insurance plans in Hawaiʻi.

If you have questions about your specific plan, feel free to reach out and I’m happy to help clarify current options.

Some clients also choose to pay out of pocket for the privacy, flexibility, and depth that private-pay therapy can offer.

The first step is reaching out through the contact page to schedule a brief consultation.

We’ll talk about what’s bringing you in, answer any questions you have, and determine whether this approach feels like a good fit.

If it does, we’ll schedule your first session and begin from there.

Sessions are conversational, but they’re not just talking.

We slow down and pay attention to what’s happening emotionally, relationally, and in your body. Together we explore patterns, reactions, and experiences as they unfold in real time.

At times we may also look more deeply at recurring themes in your life, relationships, and inner world, including patterns that may operate outside of conscious awareness.

Often the patterns that bring people to therapy are intelligent adaptations that once helped them survive but no longer serve them.

My role is to be present, curious, and honest, helping you notice and work with the deeper patterns shaping your life so change can happen not just intellectually, but experientially.

Traditional talk therapy can be very helpful for gaining insight, understanding patterns, and processing life experiences. Many people benefit greatly from having space to talk openly and be heard.

My work includes that kind of conversation, but it also goes further by paying attention to how experiences live in the body and nervous system, not just in thoughts.

This means we may slow down and notice emotional responses, physical sensations, and relational dynamics as they unfold in the session. These moments often reveal patterns that insight alone doesn’t fully shift.

For some clients, talking is exactly what they need. Others find that combining conversation with somatic awareness and depth-oriented exploration allows change to happen at a deeper level.

Part of our work together is discovering what pace and approach best supports you.

My work integrates somatic therapy, depth psychology, and trauma-informed care.

This means we don’t only talk about problems intellectually. We also pay attention to how experiences are held in the body, how patterns developed over time, and how they continue to influence relationships and emotional responses today.

Rather than focusing only on symptom relief, this approach helps people understand themselves more deeply and create change that feels integrated, embodied, and sustainable.

Many of my clients come to me after feeling stuck in therapy that focused primarily on talking or insight.

Insight is incredibly helpful, but lasting impact often involves working with the nervous system, emotional patterns, and deeper relational dynamics, not just thoughts.

My approach integrates conversation with somatic awareness and depth-oriented exploration, which can help shift patterns that insight alone hasn’t fully changed.

I typically work with clients weekly or every other week for at least the first few months.

Deep patterns often develop over many years, and meaningful change usually requires time, consistency, and a safe therapeutic relationship.

Many clients begin with a more regular schedule and later transition to monthly or occasional sessions once they feel more stable and integrated.

Both coaching and therapy can support personal growth, but they serve different roles and operate under different standards.

Therapists are licensed mental health professionals trained to assess and treat psychological concerns such as trauma, anxiety, depression, and complex relational patterns. This training includes graduate education, extensive supervised clinical hours, licensing exams, and ongoing continuing education.

Because therapists are licensed, our work carries a significant level of clinical and ethical responsibility. We are trained to recognize and respond to complex psychological dynamics, emotional distress, and trauma responses that may arise in the course of therapy.

Therapists are also required to follow strict ethical and legal standards, including confidentiality protections and accountability to a professional licensing board. As licensed healthcare providers, therapy services may also be covered by health insurance plans, depending on your policy.

Coaching typically focuses on goal-setting, performance, or life direction, rather than diagnosing or treating mental health conditions, and coaches are not held to the same clinical regulations or healthcare oversight.

For individuals looking to explore emotional patterns, process past experiences, or work with trauma and nervous system regulation, therapy provides a structured and clinically supported setting for that depth of work.

AI can be a helpful tool for reflection, journaling, and exploring ideas. Some people even use it between therapy sessions to organize their thoughts or prepare questions.

However, therapy offers something technology cannot replicate: a real human relationship. Healing often happens through being seen, understood, and supported by another person in a safe and attuned environment.

In somatic and trauma-informed therapy, the therapist also pays attention to body language, emotional shifts, and nervous system responses in real time. These subtle cues help guide the pace of the work and support deeper change.

Many people find that AI can support reflection, while therapy provides the relational and embodied experience where emotional and nervous system patterns can be explored more fully.

Yes. I offer secure online counseling for adults located anywhere in Hawaii. Online sessions allow you to engage in therapy from the comfort and privacy of your own space while maintaining the same depth and attentiveness as in-person work.

Online counseling can be especially helpful for individuals with busy schedules, limited access to specialized therapy on their island, or those who feel more at ease working from home. Sessions remain trauma-informed, somatic, and relational, with attention to pacing, nervous system regulation, and meaningful integration.

As a licensed therapist, my work is held to professional, ethical, and legal standards set by the state.

Becoming licensed requires graduate-level education, supervised clinical training, licensing exams, and ongoing continuing education. Licensed therapists are also accountable to a professional licensing board and must follow strict standards around confidentiality, ethics, and responsible care.

Because therapy can involve trauma, emotional distress, and complex relational patterns, licensed clinicians are trained to recognize and respond to these situations safely and thoughtfully. This level of training and oversight helps protect clients and support responsible care.

I am licensed to practice in Hawaiʻi and Illinois.

Like any form of care, therapy is not one-size-fits-all. Sometimes people haven’t benefited from therapy in the past because the approach, pacing, or therapeutic fit wasn’t quite right. Part of the process is finding a clinician and style of work that feels aligned with what you need.