COUNSELING ACROSS OʻAHU
Mental health counseling on Oʻahu, with support for children, teens, adults and families. Explore school-based, community, home and telehealth options with the team.
Explore counseling optionsCOUNSELING THAT FITS REAL LIFE
Counseling should fit more naturally into the lives of the people receiving it.
WHO WE HELP
Sometimes something happened. Sometimes something has been building. You can begin with what you’re experiencing, even if you don’t yet have the words for it.
Ask about support with coping, emotional regulation, behavior, confidence and communication.
02A conversation about challenges affecting home, school and family life.
03Explore support with stress, change, relationships, personal goals and emotional well-being.
04Discuss support brought closer to students and families.
THE MOBILE COUNSELING MODEL
Sometimes the office can come closer to you.
Make a Difference uses converted Sprinter vans as mobile counseling offices, alongside school-based, community, in-home and telehealth care. The idea is to make a private conversation easier to fit into daily life.
The setting, location and appointment arrangements are agreed with the practice. A mobile session is planned care, rather than a walk-up service.
See how mobile counseling works Hear Heather explain the mobile modelMEET THE TEAM
OʻAHU BORN & RAISED
Born and raised on Oʻahu, Heather created a counseling model that brings support closer to everyday life. Her work centers on values, motivation, practical tools and meaningful goals.
CHILDREN & FAMILIES
Mellissa brings more than a decade of experience supporting children and families and navigating behavioral-health systems. Her background includes helping young people build coping, communication and emotional-regulation skills.
Meet Mellissa
A little room to see things differently.A LITTLE ROOM TO BREATHE
You can start with where you are.
FOR SCHOOL COMMUNITIES
Behavioral-health support closer to the school day.
School-based and mobile counseling can connect care with the places students already spend their day. Make a Difference’s model includes collaboration with teachers and staff.
GETTING STARTED
Call or email us. Your first message can be simple.
Discuss what you need, clinician fit, availability, location, and insurance or payment questions.
If the practice is a good fit, the team will explain what beginning care could look like.
OUR APPROACH
Collaborative. Practical. Responsive to the person in front of us.
Heather Faustin, LMHC, and Mellissa Spens, LMSW. Meet the people behind the care.
Heather’s published approach connects evidence-based work with practical tools and creative problem-solving.
Heather was born and raised on Oʻahu. Local connection is part of the practice’s story.
School, community, home, mobile-office and telehealth settings are part of the practice’s model.
BEYOND THE COUNSELING ROOM
Heather’s community work extends beyond the counseling practice through Difference Makers of Hawaii, a separate nonprofit. The Power of One video shares that community invitation.
Watch The Power of One when you’re ready.
The Power of One is organized by the separate nonprofit Difference Makers of Hawaii. Visit the live campaign for its current purpose and donation information.
QUESTIONS BEFORE YOU BEGIN
The team’s published experience includes children, young people, individuals and families. Tell us who you’re looking for support for so we can discuss clinician fit, age range and current availability.
School-based, community, in-home, mobile-office and telehealth settings are part of the practice’s model. The setting is agreed together according to your needs, privacy and what is available.
You can contact the practice to ask about beginning care. Referral or authorization requirements may depend on the care arrangement and your insurance plan; discuss those before an appointment.
Ask about your specific plan before beginning care. Confirm network participation, benefits, authorization requirements and out-of-pocket costs with both the practice and your insurer.
Ask about the clinician’s approach, experience with your needs, availability and care settings. You can talk through your questions before deciding on a next step.
Telehealth is offered, but eligibility depends on your physical location, the clinician’s authorization to practice there, and clinical suitability. Confirm where you will be during sessions with the team; statewide availability is not assumed.
WHEN YOU’RE READY
You don’t need to have everything figured out before reaching out.
Email is for general inquiries. Please don’t include sensitive health information in an initial email.