Haunani ʻIao, PsyD
Dr. Haunani ‘Iao is the founder and president of ‘Iao Mind & Body Health, a Native Hawaiian–owned psychology practice grounded in mālama (care), pilina (connection), kuleana (responsibility), and pono (integrity). A kānaka maoli born and raised in Hawai‘i, she integrates modern neuroscience with ancestral wisdom to support sustainable individual and systems-level well-being.
She is working with Mindful Living Group to create group programs that support the embodied and sustained resilience and healing of our Maui community.
With over 14 years of clinical experience and a decade of healthcare leadership, Dr. ‘Iao has held leadership roles including Integrated Health Director, CPC+ Medical Director, and Behavioral Health Director within primary care and Federally Qualified Health Centers. She has led the development of large-scale programs, integrated behavioral health systems, and multidisciplinary training teams, shaping trauma-informed and culturally grounded models of care across Maui.
Her clinical specialization centers on trauma healing and resilience throughneuroscience-informed, somatic, and experiential therapies. She emphasizes nervous system regulation as a foundational wellness skill and integrates modalities such as Somatic Experiencing–informed approaches, mindfulness, CBT, and Internal Family Systems.
Dr. ‘Iao developed Discover Your Inner Resilience, a proprietary 7-module, data-driven group program that blends psychoeducation, embodiment practices, and community connection. The program integrates trauma science, polyvagal theory, breathwork, and values-based reflection, and is continuously refined through participant outcomes and feedback.
A certified Trauma-Sensitive Yoga teacher, she offers evidence-based somatic groups to support complex trauma recovery. She currently serves as Maui Representative on the Hawai‘i Psychological Association Board and has contributed to Peloton’s The Output, Well+Good, and Oprah Daily as a behavioral medicine sleep expert.
Dr. ‘Iao’s mindfulness practices include daily yoga with meditation and somatic awareness.
What Our Community Are Saying
Highly recommend this group! I am so thankful for their support and practical help as I moved into motherhood and went through postpartum. A special thanks to Jenn for her work and practice- 10 out of 10 would recommend
Then I tried Art with Jessica Brazil, and in the last six months I have seen exponential transformation in my life specifically in the areas we worked on -relationships and wealth. I had the great blessing of working with another therapist previously also at the mindful living group, and she blew my mind with all of her insights into patterns from my childhood that were still affecting my relationships. Their staff is very knowledgeable and compassionate. They offer a lot of cutting edge and effective practices.
I am able to cope so much better that I actually got on a bus for the first time in 35 years. I have also started on the road to forgiveness and letting my family back into my life for the 1st time in 20+ years. I still have a long ways to go but in the short time we have worked together, Dr Nubla and the 5-AMDR treatment has helped greatly.
I have known Jessica and Cailin professionally for many years and would happily refer anyone to them. They both have huge hearts, are very knowledgable, and truly want to help those in our community. Cailin is so wonderful with children and always goes above and beyond with each child she works with. Our community is lucky to have such caring and passionate therapists.
Mindful Living Group provides so many wonderful services for individuals. I felt comfortable from the beginning and like they cared about needs. I highly recommend anyone struggling with stress, anxiety, trauma, and just life in general to reach out because they have solutions to help!
She's so approachable, kind, experienced, knowledgeable and patient. We even have some laughs during our appointments. It's so obvious she genuinely cares about her patients and it's so refreshing. I always leave our appointments having all my concerns dissipated by her thorough explanations, genuine interest and calm demeanor. For an extremely anxious person like me who is weary of (and a bit traumatized by) our medical system, Ashley has given me hope. I trust her advice and I can't thank her enough.
Mindful Living Group has been a generative member of the Maui community, particularly since the August 2024 wildfires. They have also been critical in bringing Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) to the people of Maui, allowing countless clients to experience rapid, effective trauma relief. Mahalo nui to the MLG team!
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