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Aloha! My name is Joachin Kaaihue. I also go by Joe. I have been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Hawaii since 2009. I have been working in the helping professions since 1996 in both the public and private sectors. I believe therapy is a collaborative process between the client and therapist. Every client has their own story, and within this story lies their strength and possible solutions in improving their current situation. This provider resides in Hawaii.
My approach
My approach is primarily cognitive-behavioral and solution-focused. People's thoughts directly impact their feelings and subsequent behaviors, but they also possess the strength and possible solutions to improve their current situation.
My focus
I have worked with individuals with various difficulties such as anxiety, depression, grief/loss due to a death of a loved one, or as a result of a significant change in their life and social skills (primary and secondary school children and young adults). Most of my experience has been with children and adolescents/young adults (18-20 years old), and I will consider them for my caseload. However, I prefer to work with adults.
My communication style
Despite the virtual platform's obvious limitations, I believe in providing my client with a genuine, respectful, safe therapeutic environment. Sessions are conversational, with the person telling/sharing their story and why they sought professional assistance at this time.
My journey to mental healthcare
I describe my professional journey as unconventional. After high school, I worked primarily in various manual labor and service occupations. My academic interest in college occurred in my mid-thirties. It took some time, but I completed my Associate's degree and then worked for a while. Five years passed, and I returned to finish my Baccalaureate and then my Master's degrees while working full-time. I chose the Marriage and Family therapist path primarily because family is integral to people's lives in Hawaii. As a future helping professional planning to service people in Hawaii, pursuing a degree and subsequent license in Marriage and Family therapy made perfect sense.
My goals for you
Goal development and progress measurement are collaborative and ongoing processes with my client. The goals for therapy come directly from the client's story and the specific situation they want to improve. As sessions progress, a person may modify their stories because their issues may have improved or just changed. We can discuss any goal adjustment at any time throughout the therapeutic process.
My first session with you
I understand that for many people, the first therapy session can be a new and often nervous experience for them. Besides conveying/exchanging the typical first session information, e.g., Limits to confidentiality, my goal is to minimize my client's nervousness by normalizing these feelings, being open to questions, and dispelling any ambiguities about the entire process.
