Meet the Team

Jemma Hoffman MA Depth Psychology, LMFT

Jemma Hoffman earned a Master’s in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara in 2011. She is also an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ICADC) and a CADC-II. Jemma is licensed in both California and Hawaii.

Jemma has a diverse cultural background—born in Cape Town, South Africa, raised in Canada, and residing in Hawaii for the past 13 years. She began her counseling career at the age of 21, assisting individuals on the streets of Vancouver, Canada, by providing harm reduction supplies and connecting them with housing resources. She later worked in the Los Angeles school system as a family therapist.

After moving to Hawaii in 2012, Jemma taught Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) classes and counseled clients at Hina Mauka, a 50-bed residential addiction treatment center on Oahu. She also had the opportunity to work with an incredible team at the Maritime Foundation on Oahu, integrating land- and ocean-based healing practices for youth transitioning out of juvenile detention centers.

In 2018, Jemma became the Executive Director of Maui Recovery. She later founded The North Star Center for Marriage and Family Therapy in Los Angeles in 2021 and, in 2023, established the North Shore Counseling Center in Paia, Maui.

Jemma is a member of both the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT). She has a special interest in addiction treatment and couples therapy, working from an interactive psychodynamic perspective. Her eclectic therapeutic approach incorporates Jungian psychology, attachment theory, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, client-centered therapy, and solution-focused therapy.

Lynn Porter MSW, LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker

I provide comprehensive treatment within many areas of expertise. I have over 40 years in the field, including 30 years in a medical center in NJ, Jersey Shore Medical Center, and 15 years in my own private therapy practice. I worked in several areas in the medical center including out patient mental health, addictions, and psychiatric crisis ER. I received my MSW degree at Fordham University in NYC. I bring all of this experience into my work today.

After briefly retiring and moving to Maui 9 years ago, I resumed working 4 years ago.
I believe that people have the potential to grow and develop becoming the person they want to be. I work with clients to resolve the obstacles to reach their goals, utilizing various techniques including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Insight Oriented Psychotherapy. Areas of specialty and expertise are: anxiety, depression, relationships, self esteem, addictions (12 step work, codependency, ACOA , PTSD), wellness while aging, spirituality ( Eastern, Western, Mindfulness, meditation).