
HOlomua Counseling
Cultivating joy through every
storm, one life at a time
E holomua kākou
(letʻs move forward together)
E KOMO MAi
Welcome to my page. I believe counseling should be a safe, honest, and encouraging space where you can feel heard, supported, and understood. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, stress, relationship challenges, life transitions, or simply feeling stuck, you don’t have to face it alone. My goal is to help you gain clarity, build resilience, and move toward healing, growth, and lasting peace. I’m honored to walk alongside you on your journey.
Aloha
My name is John Beralas
the therapist who still gets goosebumps watching sunsets at Hanalei Pier and stopping in the middle of the road for the wild chickens. I grew up on Kauaʻi, where aloha isn’t just a slogan—it’s the quiet art of making every person feel seen, safe, and wrapped in warmth the moment they walk through the door. That’s the heartbeat I bring to every session. That’s probably why I light up when clients realize they’re allowed to set boundaries *and* keep it aloha.
Like surfing, therapy teaches you to look at life's challenges as waves, and every wave is an opportunity for us to ride it and to make the most of it. For years I have been blending Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person centered-therapy, Christian Counseling, narrative therapy, and Brainspotting to help my clients heal from trauma, anxiety and depression.. If you’re tired of pretending you’re “fine” at every potluck, let’s talk story. 15-minute consults are free and zero-pressure.


Beyond the therapist
Get to Know the Therapist
When I’m not in the therapy room cheering my clients on, you’ll probably find me on a court, in the water, or with a guitar in my hands.I grew up with a basketball in one hand and a volleyball in the other. Music has always been my other heartbeat; I’ve been strumming guitar/ukulele and singing since I was a kid.
Salt water runs in my veins. Even though Texas dirt is red in its own way, nothing resets my soul like the smell of the ocean and the sound of waves back home on Kauaʻi.
But the thing that truly defines me—the engine behind everything I do—is my identity in Christ Jesus. Following Him is what lights the fire to walk alongside people, hold space for their stories, and love them right where they are.
The rest? I love to laugh (the louder the better), travel to new places, try new foods, and bring as much joy into a room as possible. Life’s too short not to have fun along the way. Short, real, and full of aloha.

Our Counseling Approach
Forget stiff couches and endless note-taking, and robotic questions and answers. My approach is straightforward, heart-open, where I connect with you on your level. , we make space for the hallowed stuff—your kuleana, your moʻolelo, the history only you hold. Like cracking open a coconut, therapy reveals the sweetest part: your untold story, your hidden waters. I bring Kauaʻi warmth to every session—soft lighting, a plush chair that hugs you, and zero rush—so you can drop the mask and just be you.
Take your first steps toward growth

Your Moʻolelo (story)
Your moʻolelo, the history only you hold. Like cracking open a coconut, therapy reveals the sweetest part: your untold story, your hidden waters. For many of us, our story is the most sacred component of our lives and that is why I am honored to hear your story and bring aloha and warmth to every session where you feel safe to explore and embrace your story.

Achieving Authenticity
“In order to keep the attachment bond that our survival depends on, we sacrifice our authenticity. We learn very early that being ourselves is not a good way to stay connected, so we become who we need to be in order to keep the attachment.”
Gabor Maté, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture
From the moment we are born, we prioritize attachment over authenticity. The result of this can be devastating as we develop what we call imposter syndrome. My aim is to help you explore and embrace the part of you that you had to tuck away. My goal is to help you feel safe being who you always wanted to be but never believed you could be.

Trauma Counseling
Trauma can impact far more than just memories of the past — it can affect the way we think, feel, connect with others, and move through everyday life. Many people who experience trauma may struggle with anxiety, emotional overwhelm, trust, self-worth, hypervigilance, or feeling disconnected from themselves and those around them. Sometimes trauma is connected to a single painful event, while other times it develops through repeated experiences over time.
Counseling can provide a safe and supportive space to process those experiences, better understand how trauma affects the mind and body, and begin developing healthier ways to cope, heal, and move forward. My goal is to help clients feel grounded, empowered, and no longer defined by what they have been through.
What is Brainspotting?
“Where you look affects how you feel.”
Brainspotting is a powerful brain-body therapy approach designed to help individuals process unresolved trauma, emotional pain, anxiety, and deeply rooted experiences that may feel difficult to fully access through traditional talk therapy alone. Developed from the understanding that “where you look affects how you feel,” Brainspotting uses specific eye positions, mindfulness, and attunement to help access deeper parts of the brain where trauma and emotional experiences can become stored.Many people carry emotional wounds that continue to affect their daily lives — even when they logically understand what happened. Trauma can remain held within the nervous system and body, showing up as anxiety, emotional overwhelm, relationship struggles, panic, chronic stress, or feeling “stuck.” Brainspotting works by helping the brain and body process these experiences at a deeper level, allowing space for emotional release, healing, and regulation.During a Brainspotting session, clients are guided in a safe and supportive environment to notice physical sensations, emotions, and internal experiences while focusing on a specific “brainspot” connected to what they are processing. This approach can help clients access and process experiences that words alone may not fully reach.My goal is to create a calm, grounded, and compassionate space where clients feel supported as they move toward greater clarity, emotional freedom, resilience, and peace.
Brainspotting may help with:
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Trauma and PTSD
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Anxiety and chronic stress
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Emotional overwhelm
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Panic attacks
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Depression
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Relationship struggles
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Negative thought patterns
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Performance anxiety
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Grief and loss
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Feeling “stuck” emotionally
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Building emotional regulation and resilience
