About Island Mind Therapy
Our local mental health therapists strive to create a warm, island-inspired sanctuary where everyone—keiki, teens, and adults—can find the support they need to thrive.
Our Approach
We aspire to create a world where mental health is prioritized and every person has access to the resources and support necessary to lead a fulfilling and balanced life. Through innovation, excellence, and a compassionate approach, we aim to set the standard for effective mental health care and inspire positive change for families and individuals on Maui.
Our Mission
At Island Mind Therapy, our mission is to illuminate the path to mental wellness with compassion and expertise, serving individuals of all ages—children, adolescents, and adults. We are dedicated to creating a supportive and inclusive environment where every person feels valued, understood, and empowered.
By providing personalized, evidence-based care, we address both emotional and psychological needs with empathy and respect. Our goal is to foster resilience, hope, and balance, helping each individual and family to overcome their challenges and achieve their fullest potential. We strive to enhance the well-being of our community and promote a healthier, more balanced life for all.
We are hiring!
We are seeking caring and compassionate people throughout Hawai‘i who want to join the Island Mind Therapy team and serve the Maui community. In-person and tele-health options available.
Please visit our careers page to view open positions.
Our Values
We envision becoming a trusted leader in mental health care, known for our commitment to improving lives and promoting well-being. Our goal is to create a future where mental health is widely valued and accessible, with every individual empowered to lead a balanced and fulfilling life. By combining innovation with heartfelt care, we aim to set a standard for excellence and inspire positive change within our community.
Excellence
We are dedicated to providing outstanding care by continuously refining our practices and staying at the forefront of mental health advancements.
Compassion
We approach every individual with empathy and kindness, acknowledging the personal nature of their mental health journey.
Integrity
We maintain the highest ethical standards, ensuring that our interactions are transparent, respectful, and trustworthy.
Inclusivity
We embrace diversity and strive to create an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.
Collaboration
We believe in working together—both within our team and with our clients—to achieve the best possible outcomes for mental health.
Innovation
We are open to new ideas and approaches, integrating the latest advancements to offer the most effective care
Meet the Team
Katharine Chan, LMHC, NCC
Director of Therapy Services
Katharine Chan, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), is dedicated to fostering a safe, compassionate space for healing and personal growth. With extensive experience in therapy, crisis intervention, and community mental health, she is passionate about working with clients to navigate life challenges with empathy, authenticity, mindfulness, and positivity. She entered the mental health field with a commitment for helping others and a strong belief in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and seeking support. She believes emotional wellness is an important part of overall well-being.
Katharine takes a client-centered and culturally respectful approach to care that honors each person's unique experiences. She values building genuine therapeutic relationships grounded in trust and collaboration. She incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, play therapy, and art therapy to create meaningful and individualized therapeutic experiences that encourage growth, resilience, and self-understanding.
She values creating an inclusive space for individuals and families from diverse backgrounds. Katharine also has knowledge of Chinese and Vietnamese languages, helping to foster comfort and understanding across cultures.
As someone who loves and respects the people and cultures of Hawaiʻi, Katharine considers it a privilege to live and serve on Maui. She also helped oversee the Malu i Ka ʻUlu Hawaiʻi Resiliency Project in response to the devastating Maui wildfires, supporting community healing, resilience, and recovery efforts during a time of immense loss and grief. Community care and connection remain at the heart of the work she does, and she believes healing begins with feeling seen, heard, and genuinely supported.
Channing Slate, M.D., F.A.P.A.
Medical Director, Psychiatrist
Channing Slate, M.D., is a board-certified adult psychiatrist and the medical director for Island Mind Therapy LLC. He has lived in Hawaii since 2016, practicing across the state before settling down on Maui. Dr. Slate focuses on incorporating the biological, psychological, and social aspects of a person’s life experience when evaluating and treating his patients. He attempts to tailor his recommendations to everyone’s unique situation, needs, preferences, and includes lifestyle changes such as socialization, recreation, diet, physical activity, and exercise in addition to the traditional medication and psychotherapy approach to psychiatric treatment. Dr. Slate is not an expert in all areas of psychiatry and will gladly refer any patient with needs that are outside the scope of his expertise to a more qualified provider.
His approach is one of empathy and open-mindedness. He prefers to spend time getting to know you and learning about what has caused difficulty and stress in your life. When suggesting medications, he will take care to recommend the most appropriate medicine with the best chance of success based on the most current medical evidence. Dr. Slate does not believe that medicine is the answer to all psychiatric problems and will work to simplify your medication regimen as much as possible. If psychotherapy is recommended, it is important to note that psychotherapy is a very individual process, and certain approaches can be best for different kinds of problems. Dr. Slate values patient input and sees treatment decisions as a collaborative process. He believes that understanding and incorporating the patient’s viewpoint is the best way to achieve a positive outcome. Dr. Slate promises to make his private practice a safe place to discuss whatever sensitive or complicated issues may come up so that you will feel most comfortable seeking your mental health care from Island Mind Therapy.
John Oliver
Clinic Administrator
John Oliver is the clinic administrator for Island Mind Therapy located in Wailuku, Maui. As a long time resident of Maui, John is deeply passionate about helping the mental well-being of people in his community on Maui. His background in mental health administration led him to start Island Mind Therapy, with the goal to create a world where mental health is prioritized and every person has access to the resources and support necessary to lead a fulfilling and balanced life.
John was most recently with the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Behavioral Health Administration within Adult Mental Health Division—he was a Public Health Program Manager / Service Area Administrator and oversaw Maui County Community Mental Health Center’s locations on Maui, Molokai, and Lana‘i. He was also the founding director for the Maui County Certified Community Behavior Health Clinic (CCBHC), a project funded by SAMHSA that provides comprehensive treatment for adults with children and mental health conditions, as well as substance use treatment and recovery support services.
In addition, John was the Project Director for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander (AANHPI) ‘Ohana Center of Excellence (CoE). This project has been defunded and no longer active. When it was active, the CoE advanced behavioral health needs of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities through culturally relevant resources for mental health and substance use disorder providers, health care providers, and individuals.
Tricia Jordan, LMHC
Mental Health Professional
As a therapist who grew up in Kailua-Kona, I am deeply dedicated to supporting the resilience and well-being of our community. I bring over 15 years of clinical experience providing compassionate, trauma-informed care to teens and adults.
By blending evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and trauma-informed care with tailored therapeutic techniques, I support you through life transitions, stress management, and personal growth. Whether you are navigating trauma, managing anxiety, or working through family challenges, I am here to provide an active, compassionate ear and partner with you on a safe, convenient path toward healing.
Fast Facts
Services: Available for weekly sessions via telehealth visits.
Credentials: Licensed Mental Health Counselor (HI), National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor (OK).
Specialties: Trauma recovery, individual adult mental health, and teen emotional support.
Kauanoe Mawae, LCSW
Mental Health Professional
I am committed to creating a compassionate, nonjudgmental space where clients feel seen, heard, and empowered. I believe that healing happens through genuine connection, self-discovery, and the development of practical tools that support lasting growth.
My approach is client-centered, collaborative, and strengths-based. I work alongside adults as they navigate life's challenges, helping them build resilience, gain insight, and reconnect with their inner strengths. Whether you are experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, stress, life transitions, relationship challenges, trauma, or feelings of overwhelm, I strive to provide support that is both meaningful and effective.
One of my greatest strengths is my ability to build authentic therapeutic relationships where clients feel safe and understood. I am known for my empathy, active listening, and calm presence, while also helping clients identify patterns, challenge limiting beliefs, and create positive change. I believe every person has the capacity for healing and growth, and I am honored to walk alongside clients on that journey.
My goal is to help individuals cultivate greater self-awareness, emotional well-being, and confidence so they can create lives that feel balanced, purposeful, and aligned with their values.
Lawrence Toutant, LCSW
Mental Health Professional
Are you feeling burnt out, tired, overwhelmed? Do you find yourself overthinking on future events, or replaying past events? I work with many individuals who want to be free from living a life that does not feel genuine. Understanding yourself- your beliefs, behaviors, motivations, emotions- is the groundwork for making lasting changes. It is easy to replay the same patterns unconsciously; therapy is useful in bringing these unconscious drivers into consciousness.
I help individuals work through various life challenges, specializing in anxiety, depression trauma, Christian-based counseling, and eating disorders. I use evidence-based and proven modalities of therapy, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Therapy, and more.
Charissa Vallesteros, MS
Mental Health Professional
I have a heart for helping others and bring experience in crisis response and community mental health to my work. With an M.S in Mental Health Counseling, I specialize in CBT (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) to encourage individuals to see situations in a different light and provide a safe environment where they can express their concerns.
I believe everyone deserves a safe, supportive space where they can feel heard, understood, and accepted. With a warm, compassionate approach and a little touch of whimsy, I enjoy connecting with others and helping them discover hope, build on their strengths, and grow in ways that feel meaningful to them.
Jacqueline Rodriguez, MSW
Mental Health Professional
Jacqueline Rodriguez, MSW, is passionate about helping individuals navigate depression, anxiety, and self-esteem challenges. She believes that clients are the experts on their own lives and that meaningful change begins with feeling truly heard and understood.
Using a psychodynamic and person-centered approach, Jacqueline provides a warm, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where clients can explore life’s challenges, gain insight into patterns, and build confidence in themselves. Her goal is to guide clients as they discover their own strengths and create meaningful, lasting change.
Anela Farrar-Ivey
Mental Health Professional
As a Native Hawaiian woman and native to Maui, I think it is important to embrace who we are as a holistic person. I try to focus not only on traumatic events or life experience, but also the community we live in, our careers, and our passion projects. I believe strongly that we can not only heal by going through therapy, but by leaning in to things or activities that actively bring us life and joy.
I focus therapy activities through CBT, DBT, mindfulness, breathing exercises, and trauma informed care. I also actively use art projects, or projects that activate our senses (sense of touch, sense of smell, sense of taste) to heal the connection between our mind, hearts and body. I also strongly encourage individuals and families to learn about their cultural history or family history, to help them ground into all aspects of what makes us human. I am also a strong proponent of helping people become attuned with nature, whether it's through having a garden at home, or nature walks. Our healing should be whole person centered, and help us to become more intune with the world around us.
Mikella Polito Grobe
Mental Health Professional
Mikella Polito Grobe earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of San Francisco. Mikella has experience working with children, adolescents, teens and adults at both agency and school-based settings. Her work helps individuals, couples, and families with social skills, communication, anxiety, depression, trauma, LGBTQ+ and identity and more from a humanistic person-centered approach. She implements various theoretical approaches from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Art Therapy, Play Therapy, and Narrative Therapy to meet her clients where they are and help them achieve their therapeutic goals.
