Kamaliʻi Wellness
Healing, connection, and growth through culture, care, and community.
What We Offer
Our Kamaliʻi Wellness programs guide you through healing journeys rooted in culture, care, and community. From group support, to prevention education, and Hawaiian healing practices woven throughout, you’ll gain tools for resilience and self-discovery.
Coming Soon!
Check back soon for our Fall Programs!
Wellness Team
Mara Pavich Garcia
Director, ʻŌlino Pathways – Kamaliʻi Recruitment and Wellness
Mara Pavich Garcia
Director, ʻŌlino Pathways – Kamaliʻi Recruitment and Wellness
Mara Pavich Garcia is the Director of ʻŌlino Pathways – Kamaliʻi Recruitment and Wellness at Liliʻuokalani Center and brings over 20 years of professional experience in counseling and education, working with youth ages 5-early adulthood.
She designs and leads youth-centered initiatives that support youth in developing a strong sense of self by integrating cultural identity, social-emotional development, and holistic wellness.
Born and raised in Kaimukī on Oʻahu, Mara returned home to Hawaiʻi in 2020 after nearly two decades of residing on the West Coast, where she worked at the Spokane Crisis Residential Center, YMCA of Greater Seattle, the Evergreen School in Seattle, and Viewpoint School and Geffen Academy at UCLA. Before joining the Trust, Mara served as the Director of Wellness and Professional Programs at St. Andrew’s Schools.
Mara is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a Master’s degree in Community Counseling from Gonzaga University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Redlands.
In her leisure time, Mara enjoys beach walks, hikes, yoga, and hosting ʻohana in her backyard. She and her partner, Javier, are raising two sons in Kailua and often can be found on the baseball field or basketball courts, cheering on their teams.
Kainani Kahunanui
Manager, Community Engagement
Kainani Kahunanui
Manager, Community Engagement
Kainani is the Manager of Community Engagement at Liliʻuokalani Center, and was born and raised in Kailua, and has called the windward side of Oʻahu home forever.
She earned her BS in Psychology from the University of Hawai’i West Oahu and her MSW at Hawaii Pacific University.
In her spare time, you’ll find Kainani at the beach, hiking or doing anything outdoors with family and friends. She is the proud mother to three children and a mini dachshund.
Kainani says she is truly honored and humbled to be serving the Queen.
“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”
Bella Finau-Faumuina
Manager, Youth Wellness Programs
Bella Finau-Faumuina
Manager, Youth Wellness Programs
Bella Finau-Faumuina is the Manager of Youth Wellness Programs at Liliʻuokalani Center.
Noel Akbar
Wellness Coordinator
Noel Akbar
Wellness Coordinator
Noel Akbar is the Wellness Coordinator at Liliʻuokalani Center. Raised in the heart of Moʻiliʻili on Oʻahu, Noel Akbar grew up in a close-knit community that shaped his belief in recognizing the strengths, resiliency, and potential within every person. These early experiences influenced his passion for service, connection, and supporting the overall well-being of others. As the Wellness Coordinator, Noel brings a strengths-based perspective into his work and focuses on developing and supporting programs that promote well-being, empower individuals, and foster a positive and connected environment. He is committed to ensuring that everyone he serves feels seen, valued, and supported in ways that honor their personal journeys.
Noel earned his Master of Social Work (MSW) in 2023 from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work, where he specialized in behavioral mental health. During his graduate studies, he gained experience in both educational and clinical settings, including his work with the Department of Education as a Behavioral Health Specialist. He later expanded his clinical practice as an MSW therapist at Spill the Tea Cafe, supporting youth and young adults through counseling, guidance, and strength-centered therapeutic approaches.
Outside of his professional work, Noel enjoys creative expression through singing and writing music. He also values the time he spends with friends and family and brings this same sense of warmth, compassion, and creativity into every space he is part of.
Noel is excited to join the Wellness Team at the Liliʻuokalani Center and looks forward to contributing to a supportive, uplifting, and empowering environment for the community.
Hueina Hemaloto
Creative Art Therapies Specialist
Hueina Hemaloto
Creative Art Therapies Specialist
Hueina Hemaloto is a Creative Art Therapies Specialist at Liliʻuokalani center. She was born on Oʻahu, raised on the island of Tutuila in Samoa.
Hueina earned her master’s degree in social work, specializing in Behavioral Mental Health. She has experience providing therapy to children, adolescents and their families throughout Oʻahu as they navigate issues regarding grief and trauma. Hueina is passionate in exploring culturally grounded and accessible models of therapy for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations. Her approach includes incorporating music, dance, and art as methods for youth to engage in healing.
She is excited to collaborate with kamaliʻi at Liliʻuokalani Center to cultivate a safe environment for healing and learning. In her free time, she loves listening to music, dancing, and karaoke.
Maka Paracuelles
Creative Art Therapies Specialist
Maka Paracuelles
Creative Art Therapies Specialist
Maka Paracuelles is a Creative Art Therapies Specialist at Liliʻuokalani Center who loves creating movement-based, culturally grounded spaces for our kamaliʻi to feel strong, curious, and connected. Her style is down-to-earth, welcoming, and hands-on, blending yoga, self-defense, and Hawaiian values in a way that feels real and relatable for youth.
Maka grew up in Hawaiʻi and brings that local lens into everything she does. Before joining Liliʻuokalani Trust, she spent years teaching yoga across the island, hosting her own Hawaiian-themed retreats, and partnering with local businesses and practitioners to build community around wellness. Her classes focus on breath, body awareness, and trusting your own instincts; these are skills she believes every young person should walk with.
Along with yoga, she teaches self-defense grounded in boundaries, consent, pausing, and paying attention to your surroundings. Her goal is always the same: help people feel safe in their own body and confident in who they are.
When she’s not teaching, Maka is usually in the ocean, rolling at jiu-jitsu, spending time with her dog Mālie, or connecting with her ʻohana. She loves bringing people together, creating good vibes, and weaving Hawaiian culture with mindful movement in ways that feel natural and uplifting.
Kaitlyn Shimomoto
Youth Engagement Specialist, Wellness
Kaitlyn Shimomoto
Youth Engagement Specialist, Wellness
Kaitlyn Shimomoto is a Wellness Youth Engagement Specialist for Liliʻuokalani Center.
Connect with us
Ready to join our community and discover your passions? We can’t wait to meet you!