Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherline Ha’o.
Hi Katherline, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I didn’t always know I would have set out to be an Educational Therapist. In fact, 20 years ago, when I completed my teaching credential program, the only career choice I had ever known about in education was teaching or administration. I always had this innate passion for helping kids and the ability to teach, inspire, and explore the world with them was something I knew gave me purpose.
Throughout my 13 years in teaching, I have worked with so many children with complex lives, different learning challenges, and motivational struggles. Yet, for each one of them, I found that my ability to connect with kids and focus more on their strengths was really the key to reaching them. However, within the public and private sectors, I knew that there are limitations and the areas where students really needed support could not be fully remediated without a one-on-one environment.
I discovered Educational Therapy as a profession by chance while I had been employed as a Special Education Home Teacher in the Las Virgenes School District. While in that position, I worked with a population of students with learning disabilities and IEPs or 504 plans. Much of the one-on-one teaching support I provided involved instruction and guidance on skills that were not explicitly taught in the classroom such as homework planning, organization, study strategies, writing essays, math processes, and remediation. Through an exploratory career conversation with a friend (who happened to be a neuropsychologist), I realized that my philosophy and methods of teaching aligned right into the field of educational therapy.
Educational Therapy is a therapeutic approach to academic intervention. I have been working in educational therapy for the past 3 years and opened a private practice called Ulu Ed Therapy in Agoura Hills. The name “ulu” means growth in Hawaiian which pays homage to my early days teaching in Hawai’i and how cultural values significantly influence the Hawaiian way of life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The transition from teaching into the field of educational therapy has been relatively smooth. The biggest challenge is more on the business side as I have been learning how to manage the role as a business owner and as a practitioner at the same time. It requires switching mindsets to complete very different tasks creatively and resourcefully. Task switching between these two roles can really challenge your brain capacity, time, and physical energy. I had to be vulnerable to take on areas in marketing and networking that I never really needed as a teacher. But when I experienced the benefits of what I could accomplish through these obstacles and challenges, it’s really amazing how much that transformed the perception of myself and my skills I once perceived as weaknesses. Over the years, I’ve had several entrepreneurial ventures while working in corporate fields unrelated to teaching in order to supplement my income. Yet, all those experiences have really been valuable learning opportunities that helped me grow personally and professionally. Working for yourself and working for a company or organization has really been the catalyst to strengthen my skills as well as develop new ones I didn’t even know I was capable of.
Another challenge is finding balance as a mother and working adult. Many women around the world share the same struggles in these roles and find ways to manage their time, their attention, and their stamina while tending to the needs of their family and raising children. There are moments that I don’t get to be at every game or school event, help with homework, and be readily available for the family. It’s a sacrifice working mothers have to choose for whatever reasons personally and professionally. However, as a mother of a daughter, it has been very important for me to show and teach her the values of growth, learning, maturity, goals, finances, and the ability to develop agency.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The word “ulu” in Ulu Ed Therapy means growth in Hawaiian. It’s also the name of the breadfruit tree which is known to be a kind of superfruit that has many different purposes aside from food, such as insect repellant, chewing gum, and even clothing. The ulu’s amazing qualities of nourishment, resilience, versatility, and sustainability represent some of those same qualities of our ability to grow.
Growth is really the goal in educational therapy. My practice specializes in children and adults with ADHD, executive function challenges, and other learning differences. For learners who struggle with reading skills, we also offer a very specialized, evidence-based reading intervention program using an Orton-Gilingham approach.
Educational therapy supports students by teaching them individualized strategies on how to learn more efficiently and effectively. We draw from best practices and research in neuroscience, behavioral science, and psychology in order to reach students that struggle with motivation and/or anxiety. We use a strengths-based coach approach to elicit intrinsic motivation so that students can design a new process for learning and achieving their goals. We provide students clarity into how their brains work so they can develop a healthy self-narrative and build self-confidence, motivation, and resilience.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
The field of educational therapy is a quickly growing field. The Association of Educational Therapists is a great organization that provides membership, information, mentorship, and a directory of educational therapists worldwide. They also offer opportunities for professional development, networking, and study groups.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.uluedtherapy.com
- Instagram: @uluedtherapy
- Linkedin: Katherline Ha’o
