Aloha… and welcome to Liminal Space Mental Health. Some information about myself, my approach to treatment, and my own goals as a practitioner of a healing and holistic wellness profession. I started my mental health career unknowingly–as a barista for 9 years–doing what a therapist once described to me as natural therapy. Developing the skills of building rapport with others and being a good listener led to my work as a psychiatric RN in an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital, and, eventually, to my current role here… providing care in this liminal space between what has been and what will become.

The foundation of everything I do lies in mindfulness. Without mindfulness, I am not present enough in my own life to be peaceful and present for myself or others. This same principle applies to each of us–when we embody mindfulness, we have the opportunity to move positively through each liminal space in our lives. With this consideration, my approach to care comes from my understanding that our whole being influences our health–both physical and mental. Each element influencing the others in turn. Viewing health through a whole person/holistic and integrative lens, helps us find a balance through supporting biological, mental, and spiritual needs/requirement. When we find this balance–and support and empower it through intentional lifestyle choices, we will be in an optimal position to live a healthy and peaceful life. Also, the thread of the tale of our lives–from birth to present to our future selves–can be traced from the past to inform where/who we are in the present and intentionally woven into the tapestry of our future story–allowing us to be the author of our own future.

In developing treatment plans, my number one goal is for you to feel that you made the decisions–a truly collaborative process. I am here to provide a mindful presence, support, treatment options/alternatives, an open mind, and an unbiased perspective. At the same time, I expect my clients to take an active and intentional role in their own mental health journey–as Dr. Mole says, "The medicine works on its own just fine, but if you need some magic dig deep inside. The healing’s in you, deep within you..."

My short-term and mid-term goals as a practitioner are to become fully Integrative Psychiatric Professional certified (IPP-C) (I am almost there at the time of this writing), Experiential Transformation Procedure (ETP) certified (I am almost there at the time of this writing), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training certified (I have completed the initial course and seek to continue the curriculum), Hakomi Method informed (I have completed the initial Hakomi Method workshop), and to always be learning how to best provide safe, effective, personalized, and compassionate care.

I like to spend my time exercising (especially HIIT)–practicing Tai Ji and Bai Mei Kung Fu, playing guitar–writing, arranging, and recording music–finding magic in nature–seeking inner stillness–and primarily spending as much time playing with my family as possible.

Current areas of care include stress/anxiety, low-mood/depression, and executive dysfunction/ADHD.