Psychotherapy & Genetic Counseling
Serving All Hawai`ian Islands
Psychotherapy & Genetic Counseling
ABOUT
Jennifer Bojanowski, LCSW, MS, CGC
Kaiona Counseling Owner & Clinician
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
HI License #4386, since 2018
MSW from Hawaii Pacific University, 2015
Certified Genetic Counselor
ABGC Certification #99031, since 1999
MS from University of California Berkeley, 1997
What if you already knew how to create the life you want? I believe you do, that at your core you have the confidence, creativity, and compassion to make the changes you envision. That journey inward is not easy, and having a traveling companion can be empowering. My intention is to be collaborative, to earn and keep your trust, and to hold a safe space for you to do the vulnerable and important work of deepening your self-knowledge and affecting lasting change.
I chose “Kaiona” Counseling for my practice after the Native Hawai‘ian goddess of Oahu's Mount Ka‘ala. Kaiona’s ‘iwa birds accompany lost travelers as they find their way home, down the mountain, and out of the actual or metaphorical forest. As a therapist by way of clinical social work training, I take that bird’s eye view to understand how your environment contributes to your strengths and challenges. Through a holistic “person-in-environment” lens, I can see how you’ve navigated barriers and located resources within the systems surrounding you - such as your family, friends, school, work, community, society, and so on. I ground my work in cultural humility, continually striving to understand how your diverse identities shape the meaning you make of your experiences.
Developing my therapeutic approach has deepened the support and understanding I can offer clients seeking genetic counseling. Read more about my approach and areas of focus below under “Services.” To learn more about my qualifications, education, and professional expertise, view my full resume here.
SERVICES
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy - sometimes called talk therapy or counseling - is a collaborative process between you and your therapist. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I partner with you as you seek to find meaning and meet life’s challenges with resilience.
Like most people, you may be coming to therapy with an idea of the change you’d like to see in your life. I’m here to help you find your way to that change through a personalized treatment plan. Your plan may draw on a number of evidence-based models of therapy, such as:
• Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
• Trauma-Focused CBT (tf-CBT)
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
• Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Each of these foster growth and leverage your inherent strengths. Depending on your unique needs or interests, complementary approaches may also be used and include social skills training; psychoeducation; recreational, horticultural, expressive arts, music, poetry, and literature therapies; narrative therapy and life review.
I work with adults and adolescents individually, or as part of a couple or family. The reasons clients have come to therapy are as diverse as each person. A few examples include: decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety; resolving past trauma; strengthening connection in a relationship; grieving a loss; or navigating a major life transition.
I also have a few specialty areas that arise from my experiences and interests.
Women’s Mental Health
Meeting the needs of women - whose experiences are shaped by race, age, sexuality, ability, and social class - is an important focus of my practice. Women disproportionately experience abuse and discrimination, and the burden of these experiences can take a toll. In addition, certain mental health challenges unique to women have remained in the shadows. Awareness of postpartum depression has increased in recent years, but the likelihood of women seeking support for an array of related issues is limited. Some of these fall under the umbrella of reproductive psychiatry, such as weighing the benefits and risks of psychiatric medication during pregnancy and breastfeeding, peripartum anxiety, pregnancy and neonatal loss, infertility and assisted reproduction, alternate paths to parenthood, or being childless by choice. Women may also benefit from the support of a therapist to manage premenstrual dysphoric disorder, psychiatric conditions worsened by menstruation, or the mood and cognitive symptoms of perimenopause and menopause.Living with Chronic Disease or Disability
The covid-19 pandemic has raised all of our awareness to the impact illness can have on our lives. Many continue to struggle with worry, grief, loss, longterm complications, and provider and caregiver fatigue and stress. Adjusting to any new diagnosis in yourself or a loved one can be emotionally and cognitively draining. It may present a sense of isolation or uncertainty as you adapt to new limits. There may be implications for body image, identity, and relationships. Whether heart disease, cancer, a genetic syndrome, a rare or common condition - living your life well may demand new ways of thinking and being in the world. Work with a therapist can help you find these new paths.
Genetic Counseling
Genetic counseling is the process of helping people understand and adapt to the medical, psychological, and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease. As a Certified Genetic Counselor (CGC), I make this information personally meaningful to support you in making informed testing decisions, as well as medical, family-building, and other life choices. I focus on the following types of genetic counseling:
Hereditary Breast Cancer
Most breast cancers happen by chance, but about 15% are due to the inheritance of a mutation (also called, a pathogenic variant) in one of several high risk genes. Depending on the gene involved, the risk for breast cancer may be as high as 85%, and the chance for a second primary breast cancer can be significantly increased. Hereditary breast cancer syndromes impact women’s health disproportionately, simply based on anatomy and frequently associated cancers of the ovaries and uterus. It’s also important to be aware that mutations may pass through fathers and other males in a family. This may increase the risk of male breast cancer in some families, and these syndromes can also increase risk for many other cancers that don’t discriminate based on sex (colon, pancreatic, thyroid cancers). Further, there are unique concerns for at risk transgender women and men considering transition interventions. Genetic counseling for hereditary breast cancer may help you better understand your risk for cancer, take steps for early detection or risk reduction, cope with related psychological distress, find needed resources, and identify other family members who may also benefit from counseling and testing. Your healthcare provider may complete the Cancer Genetic Counseling Referral Form to begin the process of making an appointment.Oncofertility
When cancer occurs during the reproductive years (ages 15-45), timely communication is critical. Information and support is often needed to make decisions about options for parenthood, fertility preservation, sexual health and contraception during treatment, the benefits and risks of starting or postponing cancer treatment during pregnancy, and other issues. Appointments for oncofertility counseling can typically be made within 36 hours of receiving a referral, which can be facilitated by completing the Cancer Genetic Counseling Referral Form.Psychiatric Genetics
With rare exceptions, mental health conditions are due to the additive effects of multiple genes and multiple environmental factors such as childhood experiences or traumas. Tests that estimate genetic vulnerability to psychiatric conditions add the combined risks of hundreds to thousands of genetic variants for what is called a polygenic risk score (PRS). However, the accuracy and usefulness of PRS tests can be very limited - many with high risk scores never develop a particular psychiatric condition, while some with the condition may have low risk scores. Genetic counseling can help you understand such testing in the context of your personal and family mental health history. It may also help you work through your emotions about a particular psychiatric condition, as well as leverage protective factors for improved symptom management and mental wellness. Genetic counseling can also shed light on the benefits and limitations of pharmacogenetics, or genetic testing to guide psychiatric medication management.
Privacy Matters
Through your personal and private Client Portal, you will be able to
Complete most paperwork
Schedule, reschedule, and cancel your own appointments
The Client Portal meets all security requirements for HIPAA and HiTRUST, including bank-level encryption.
Clients are encouraged and may ask for help to set up a free encrypted email account. This would allow you and your therapist to send and receive private messages.
Your therapist can also help you download a simple free app for completing forms.
Insurance Accepted
HMSA - All Plans
(PPO, HMO, Quest, Medicare)
HWMG/HMAA
TriWest
Medicare Part B
If you have health insurance that is not listed above, you may arrange to self-pay, or make full payment at the time of each appointment. I will provide you a Superbill (like a receipt for services). If your plan offers benefits that cover services from providers that are “Out-of-Network”, you may submit this Superbill to your health insurer for the agreed upon reimbursement rate of your plan.
Fees for Services
For those wanting or needing to pay out-of-pocket for services, below are some commonly used “self-pay” services with fees.
Psychotherapy Intake Evaluation, $190
Individual Psychotherapy, $175/60 minute session
Family Psychotherapy, $150/50 minute session
Genetic Counseling, $100/each 30 minutes
A 10% discount applies when paid in full at the time of service. A list of all available services and current fees is available upon request and subject to change periodically.
CONTACT
Phone: (808) 927-9151
Fax: (808) 400-8052
E-mail:
jennifer@kaionacounseling.com
Mailing Address:
47-321 Mawaena Street
Kaneohe, HI 96744
Serving All Hawaiian Islands
by Telehealth
Copyright © 2024 Kaiona Counseling, LLC. All rights reserved.
