PSYCHOTHERAPY

I provide psychotherapy for individuals age 18 and up.

I work with people who are living with many different mental health conditions or facing various life challenges. Some of the most common issues I address in therapy include:

• Trauma

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Attachment Injuries

• Relationship Issues

• Caregiver Stress

• Family Conflict

• Life Transitions

• Grief and Loss

• Stress and Burnout

• Self-Esteem

• Highly Sensitive People (HSP)

• Personal Growth

As a trauma-responsive therapist, I support individuals healing from both “Big T” and “little t” trauma, and understand that both can have devastating effects on an individual’s mental and physical health, daily functioning, and overall sense of safety and well-being.

“Big T” trauma is most commonly associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and can result from experiencing or witnessing serious injury, accidents, sexual violence, physical assault, or life-threatening events. In contrast, “little t” trauma can result from highly distressing events that tend to be more chronic and personal in nature, including emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, bullying or harassment, abandonment, or grief and loss. Despite being called “little,” such traumatic events can cause significant emotional damage, especially if an individual experiences more than one event or if these traumas occur during important periods of brain development like early childhood and adolescence. Thus, “little t” trauma is also referred to as Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), Relational Trauma, or Developmental Trauma.

I specialize in supporting individuals in “unmasking” and embracing all parts of themselves to reclaim their identify, purpose, and sense of Self. I embrace playfulness and creativity in therapy, while meeting clients with calmness and attunement to focus on the relational, somatic, and systemic factors underlying their challenges. I am passionate about advocating for social justice, addressing systemic issues of social inequality, and destigmatizing mental health issues.

My personal values have been shaped by my own upbringing, personal challenges, lifelong interest in language and culture, and study of the cultural components of well-being. I completed my doctoral research on the help-seeking attitudes and behaviors within Hawaii’s local Filipino community to help identify barriers to access and engagement in mental health services.

While I am a client-based therapist, I also lean on my own lived experiences to help me more fully understand the experiences of my clients and help them navigate their complexity of the issues they bring to therapy. Empathy, and attunement to their human needs, help me hold space for my clients and genuinely connect with the issues they are facing. Helping my clients feel safe to start healing is at the heart of my offer of understanding and support as therapist.