Meet the Team!
Kokua Mental Health and Wellness is constantly expanding our team to meet the needs of our community. We’re excited to introduce our members as we continue to grow.
Kokua Mental Health and Wellness LLC (KMHW) is a private therapy practice founded in 2020 with the mission and vision of providing exemplary clinical services to individuals, couples, and families throughout the state of Hawaii.
Since its inception in 2020, KMHW has prepared for the constraints of limited in-person services imposed by COVID-19. As a forward-facing company, KMH&W secured a safe, efficient, and user-friendly telehealth platform.
KMHW is excited to announce that in 2022, its clinical staff will expand by partnering with qualified providers across the state. With their addition, we will bring an array of mental health experts from diverse training backgrounds and areas of strength and expertise.
Ciara Rodregues, LMHC
Therapist Bio
Over the last decade, I have spent much of my professional life in both clinical and supervisory roles within the social services and mental health field. I have a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and am licensed as a Mental Health Counselor within the State of Hawaii. I have worked in the non-profit sector for the last 8 years in domestic violence intervention and as a mental health provider, but also did internships with substance abuse treatment programs.
I use a person-centered approach, but tailor my work to the client’s needs. I have years of experience using Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). I have additional training in various mindfulness practices to address anxiety and have certifications as a Certified Mindfulness-Informed Professional (CMIP) and Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional ( CCATP).
My Approach & Values
By looking at aspects of our life that are working for us and not working for us, we can create success and balance. My passion is joining in that journey with individuals and couples so they can determine what best fits in their life and helping to put ideas for change into action.
Experience
- Clinical Supervisor – Parents and Children Together (Multisystemic Therapy)
- Therapist – Parents and Children Together (Multisystemic Therapy)
- Counselor Advocate – Parents and Children Together (Domestic Violence Intervention Program)
Education
- BS – University of Nevada Las Vegas
- MA – University of Nevada Las Vegas
Professional Credentials
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor – State of Hawaii
Ciara’s Specialties
Anger Management
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The work we will do can help you understand your triggers for anger, develop and practice coping skills, and think, feel, and behave differently in response to anger, so you are calmer and more in control.
Anxiety
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Through our work, it can help you uncover the underlying causes of your worries and fears. Therapy will help you learn how to relax; look at situations in new, less frightening ways all while developing better coping and problem-solving skills. Through therapy it will give you gives you the tools to overcome anxiety and teaches you how to use them.
Behavioral Issues
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Therapy can help you identify unhealthy thought patterns and understand how those thoughts contribute to self-destructive behaviors and beliefs. Once we identify patterns, we will to be evoke constructive approaches to both thoughts and behaviors.
Emotional Disturbance
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Through therapy, the goal is to minimize stress and cultivate positive and appropriate responses to social situations. The goal is to help move perceptions away from negativity and establishing self-affirming habits to help you succeed.
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Psychological testing might sound intimidating, but it’s designed to help you. Together, we can use tests and other assessment tools to measure and observe behaviors to arrive at a diagnosis and guide treatment. Please inquire about the type of assessments available
Infidelity
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There are many ways to approach the experience of a partner’s infidelity; you may wish to focus on forgiveness, letting go, moving on or all three. In therapy, you can chose to work individually or as a couple to strengthen your emotional and sexual intimacy, experience more satisfaction in your relationship, atone for past infidelities and insensitivities, and nurture healthier habits.
Life Transitions
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When you experience change you become vulnerable because the flow of life has changed. You might notice yourself feeling worried, stressed, tired/fatigued, or experiencing sleeping or eating problems. Perhaps you noticed a shift in your mood or physical symptoms with no known medical connection. Together, we can work toward acclimating you to change at both a conscious and unconscious level to identify areas that you feel stuck or challenged.
Men's Issues
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Men often faces challenges with both emotional expression and connection. Together, we can help you identify, learn to deal with, and effectively express emotions in ways that that are more adaptive and can help preserve and strengthen your relationships personally professionally and everywhere in between.
Relationship Issues
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Have you and your partner found yourself in a rut? Do fights occur often? Together, we can help you and your partner get to the core of your problems, find new ways of communication, and strengthen the emotional connection with one another. By working together, you and your partner can build a stronger relationship and address conflict in a safe and supportive environment.
Peer Relationships
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Problems can occur in all relationships; friends, colleagues, supervisors and peers. When these relationships become negative, you may begin to feels the need to conform under pressure, or the opposite, radically confront the issue. Perhaps you’ve felt unsuccessful or dissatisfied with these outcomes. Together, we can help provide support for self-individuation, effective communication and how to build healthy boundaries with yourself and others.
Sexual Abuse
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Sexual assault is amongst the most traumatic experiences a person can undergo. The trauma can be debilitating, leaving scars in both your self-imagine and self-esteem. No matter when in life or to what extent you have experienced sexual abuse, your emotions, feelings and beliefs matter and are valid. Together, we can guide you to a rebuilding of your self-esteem, process hurt, and retake control of your life.