Public & Human Services: Clinical Psychologist
Public & Human Services
Clinical Psychologist: Mary Horn
By Alice Keesing • Photos by Scott T. Kubo
When life gets tough … the psychologists get to work. Throughout her career, clinical psychologist Mary Horn has helped people through the hard times, whether it’s recovering from an abusive relationship or learning to manage overwhelming stress and anxiety.
Growing up in the small border town of Nogales, Ariz., Mary was always the one pepping up her friends and offering a shoulder to cry on.
“I always knew I wanted to help people,” says the K?ne‘ohe-based clinical psychologist. “I remember in high school I did a lot of mentoring programs. I volunteered to go and visit the geriatric ward. I always got a lot out of uplifting people.”
“When I was young I wanted to be a pediatrician,” she adds. “But when I went to college, I hated the biology and chemistry classes. I just couldn’t stand it and I was terrible at it.”
So Mary turned to psychology. During this time she also moved to Hawai‘i, where she earned her bachelor’s degree at Chaminade University. It was during this time that Mary started working as a battered women’s support group facilitator, helping women who were sometimes in deadly situations.
“That’s what really got me going,” she says.
She kept on with her studies, earning her master’s and doctorate of psychology degrees from the American Schools of Professional Psychology. Getting her Ph.D. was hard work, Mary says, but she made it because she was determined to work hard and believed in herself. During her graduate work, Mary began working with CARE Hawai‘i, which provides outpatient mental health services to children, adolescents and adults.
These days, Mary still works with CARE Hawai‘i three days a week, supervising therapists in the child and adolescent division. She meets regularly with the therapists and they review cases and discuss the best treatment approaches.
Mary also has her own busy private practice in K?ne‘ohe where she does everything from children’s counseling to family and couples therapy.
“I really like working with people,” she says. “I like seeing people get better.”
During her sessions with clients, she may talk things through with them, helping them understand what’s going on in their lives, how past events have affected them and how they can move on to a healthier place.
Her days are spent working with people who may be angry at the world, or who are horribly sad. They may be addicted to drugs or alcohol. They may be doing terrible things to their children. It’s important not to be judgmental, she says, and it’s important to be there for her clients to help them make the changes they need.
“Absolutely, sometimes things get to me,” she says. “I really care about my patients, so how do you not let that affect you?”
It’s for that reason that Mary works hard to keep the balance in her own life. She exercises, goes hiking, plays tennis and spends time with her family and friends. That way, when life gets tough for her clients, she’s in a place where she can help them.
“I really believe in cleaning out your own backyard before you go and clean out others,” she says.