Nov. 5 Is Only 3 Weeks Away. How Will New Tampa Vote? 

The Presidential Election Is The Centerpiece But County & State Races & Amendments Also Will Help Shape Life Here 

Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump: Only one can be elected the 47th President of the United States on Tuesday, November 5. (Photo: Associated Press) 

On Tuesday, November 5, voters across the U.S. will elect a new President and Vice-President. And, while there are other candidates on the ballot, there’s no doubt that either current Vice-President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump will be elected the 47th president of the U.S., and their respective running mates — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz or Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance — will become our next Vice-President. 

Yes, the election will be historic no matter who wins. Harris would be the first woman, the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to ascend to our country’s highest office. 

Trump would be the first President since Grover Cleveland (who won in 1884 and 1892, after losing in 1888, despite winning the popular vote) and the second in history to regain the office after losing his first attempt at a second term. And, no matter what you think about his trial for falsifying business records, Trump also would be the only convicted felon to become President. 

But, while this election also comes at one of the most volatile times in our nation’s history — with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East, the very real threat of Chinese aggression against Taiwan and Republicans and Democrats pointing fingers at each other for the myriad of problems we face domestically — there is little doubt that this will be one of the most hotly contested Presidential elections in history. 

And, while that’s actually a good thing, because it likely means that more people will be casting ballots than ever before — probably surpassing the record 155+ million who cast ballots in 2020 — it also probably means that all of the candidates down-ballot, from U.S. Senator to local Community Development District races, can expect larger-than-usual voting numbers, too. 

Yes, some people will only vote in the Presidential race while others will vote in every race except for President, but for anyone who cares about life not only in our country but in our state and local communities, this is an opportunity to truly let your voice be “heard.” 

And, with super-controversial State Constitutional Amendments — including abortion rights and recreational marijuana — also on the Nov. 5 ballot, the hope here is that local voters will look beyond the non-stop TV ads on those issues and try to read the texts of those amendments (difficult though it may be) to decide what you truly think is the right thing to do with your vote. 

If that feels like a lot of pressure to you, just imagine what all of the candidates on your ballot (see pages 4-5) are feeling right now as they come down to this election’s home stretch. 

Speaking of which, Vote by Mail ballots were sent out beginning on Oct. 3 and are due back by no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. The Early Voting period begins on Monday, October 21, and runs through Sunday, November 3, and the New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.) is the closest Early Voting site for pretty much everyone who lives in zip code 33647, although the Victor Crist Community Center Complex (at 14013 N. 22nd St.) is a reasonable alternative Early Voting site for some of you. 

The deadline to register to vote in this election was Oct. 7, so if you’re not already registered to vote in Hillsborough County, you will not be able to cast a ballot here in this election. 

I also encourage you to know your polling place. If you don’t know where you are supposed to vote on Election Day, visit VoteHillsborough.gov to find out.

Please note that what appears above and below represents the entire sample ballot for voters who live in New Tampa. 

In addition to the Presidential election, the national races being contested that you have the ability to help decide are: 

U.S. Senator – Incumbent Republican Rick Scott vs. Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell , Libertarian candidate Feena Bonoan and two candidates with No Party Affiliation (Tuan TQ Nguyen & Ben Everidge) 

Dist. 15 U.S. Congress – Incumbent Rep. Laurel Lee vs. Dem. Pat Kemp 

State Races on this year’s ballot include: 

State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit – Appointed incumbent Rep. Suzy Lopez vs. Dem. Andrew Warren 

State Senator, Dist. 23 – Incumbent Rep. Danny Burgess vs. Dem. Ben Braver & Independent John Houman 

State Representative, Dist. 67 – Incumbent Dem. Fentrice Driskell vs. Rep. Rico Smith 

Hillsborough County races on the ballot: 

Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller – Incumbent Dem. Cindy Stuart vs. Rep. Victor Crist 

Property Appraiser – Incumbent Dem. Bob Henriquez vs. Rep. John Ballance 

Supervisor of Elections – Incumbent Dem. Craig Latimer vs, Rep. Billy Christensen 

County Commissioner, Dist. 2 – Incumbent Rep. Ken Hagan vs. Patricia Altagracia Alonzo 

County Commissioner, Dist. 6 – Rep. Chris Boles vs. Dem. Sean Shaw 

Justice of the Supreme Court – Shall Justice Renatha Francis be retained? 

Justice of the Supreme Court – Shall Justice Meredith Sasso be retained? 

District Court of Appeal – Shall Judge Anthony K. Black be retained? 

District Court of Appeal – Shall Judge Edward C. LaRose be retained? 

District Court of Appeal – Shall Judge Susan H. Rothstein-Youakim be retained? 

School Board Member, Dist. 7 (runoff) – Incumbent Lynn Gray vs. Karen Bendorf 

Soil & Water Conservation District – Group 4 – Tyler Barrett vs. David Maynard 

State Constitutional Amendments on the ballot include: No. 1 – Partisan Election of Members of District School Boards; No. 2 – Right to Fish & Hunt; No. 3 – Adult Personal Use of Marijuana; No. 4 – Limit Government Interference with Abortion; No. 5 – Annual Adjustments to the Value of Certain Homestead Exemptions; No. 6 – Repeal of Public Campaign Financing Requirement 

Hillsborough County Referendum: No. 1 – Renewal of Community Investment 1/2-cent Sales Tax through Dec. 31, 2041; No. 2 – The School Board of Hillsborough County Millage Election for Public School Students 

Local Community Development District (CDD) Races (not shown on these Sample Ballots): 

Cory Lake Isles CDD, Seat 2 – Juan Jose Aliaga vs. Prasad Yealuru 

Tampa Palms OST CDD, Seat 4 – Louis Hector De Armas, Jr. vs. Brad van Rooyen 

Tampa Palms OST CDD, Seat 5 – Bob Lennon vs. Ram Ramadoss 

Please get out and vote, New Tampa! 

AdventHealth Radiologist Discusses The Importance Of Mammograms 

Dr. Rachel Burke demonstrates how the AdventHealth Care Pavilion mammography machine works. (Photos by Charmaine George)

As most people know, October is “National Breast Cancer Awareness Month” across the U.S. and here in Tampa, the AdventHealth Care Pavilion at 8702 Hunter’s Lake Dr., in front of the Hunter’s Green community on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., hosted a breast cancer awareness event on Oct. 3 to encourage women to get their mammograms. 

“One in eight women will be touched by breast cancer in their lifetimes,” said Dr. Rachel Burke, the medical director and head breast radiologist at the Kay Meyer Breast Care Center at AdventHealth Tampa. “The median age is around 62 and the highest risk is for those over age 70, but we diagnose it in all ages. Pretty much everyone knows someone who has been affected by it. I always tell people that the biggest risk factors for developing breast cancer are being born female and getting older — and if you’re alive, you’re getting older, so nobody is immune to it.” 

In fact, she said, “This year alone, more than 300,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, the kind that can possibly spread, and another 56,000 with the non-invasive or ‘Stage 0’ breast cancer, and that’s just here in the U.S.” 

Dr. Burke says that not only is a mammogram the only diagnostic test approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), it also is the “gold standard” for detecting breast cancer. 

“And honestly, it’s so easy,” Dr. Burke said. “It only takes a few minutes, isn’t painful and it can definitely save your life. I don’t know why some women have built it up in their heads that it’s this scary thing. It’s really just a couple of seconds of pressure on each side.” 

She added that she started as a diagnostic radiologist specializing in breast radiology, “before I turned 40, so I hadn’t actually had a mammogram myself yet. But, I had heard many scary things about mammograms from patients. And, when I finally had mine, I said, ‘OK, that wasn’t so bad.’ I didn’t know what the whole fuss was about. It was over and done with so fast and wasn’t terrible at all.” 

Dr. Burke also said that since the 1990s, with widespread screening becoming the norm, “Mortality from breast cancer has been reduced by 40% and up to 50% in some studies. Yes, it works. I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to have a test that took five minutes of their time that could save their life.” 

Cost Isn’t An Issue 

And, she noted that considering that an annual mammogram is a covered test for women over age 40 on virtually all health insurance plans, “Cost isn’t an issue, either. Even if you don’t have insurance, there are programs — like through our AdventHealth Foundation — that offer free or low-cost mammograms to women, regardless of their insurance status, if they can’t afford to get one. We will find a way to help you” 

In addition, Dr. Burke said, “Most mammography facilities offer special programs and lower fees during October. I know we have a special for a $99 mammogram this month.” 

The Care Pavilion staff “celebrates” Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

Dr. Burke also noted that although African American women have a lower incidence of breast cancer when compared with Caucasians and other races, “They have a higher mortality rate from it. We don’t know exactly why — but Black women have a higher incidence of dense breast tissue and there are some other factors, including socioeconomic, but it absolutely is something to be aware of. We don’t want any women to die from breast cancer, but we also don’t want this type of disparity either.” 

Speaking of breast density, however, Dr. Burke said that it is harder to read the mammograms of women who have more dense, glandular tissue than fatty tissue, which puts any woman with dense breasts at higher risk for breast cancer. 

“Mammograms are still our best diagnostic tool,” she said, “but the test isn’t perfect. Just as it’s harder to see when you’re driving in dense fog, it’s harder to read the mammograms through dense breast tissue. Some women will need a supplemental test — like an MRI or ultrasound — if they have dense breasts and there’s a concern.” 

Dr. Burke also talked about BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations, which significantly increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. Statistics show that 55%-65% of women found with a BRCA1 mutation and 45% of women with a BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer by age 70. 

“More and more celebrities are coming out and discussing that they have gotten prophylactic bilateral mastectomies and reconstruction after being found with either mutation,” she said. “You know, the Angelina Jolie effect. So now, there are a lot of women with these mutations who aren’t celebrities who were inspired by that and also are having mastectomies to prevent breast cancer and that’s great. A surgery without cancer is easier to recover from than a surgery with cancer.” 

And now, she added, “We have found a lot of different genes that are proving to be risk factors not just for breast but for a lot of different cancers.” 

Dr. Burke also said that although there are some risk factors that women can’t change, like aging and genetics, “The risk factors we can change are alcohol consumption, diet and exercise and smoking. I never tell women they have to give up alcohol altogether,” she said. “I still like to have a glass of wine, too, and I have friends who are oncologists who still have a drink here and there. All we say is to limit your alcohol consumption because it definitely is related to breast cancer.” 

She also noted that it’s important to tell women who are diagnosed that, “It’s not your fault. I tell them, ‘You did not cause this. This is one rogue cell that decided to proliferate. There wasn’t one particular thing you did to cause it.’” 

The stage of the cancer itself also is important. “The chance for long-term survival goes down with each stage,” Dr. Burke said. “However, even though we can’t ‘cure’ Stage 4, we do have many patients who live for a number of years with Stage 4 disease.” 

Dr. Burke then demonstrated how a mammogram works in the Care Pavilion’s Mammography Suite. And, after the interview,Charmaine and I enjoyed pink cupcakes, donuts and lemonade with the Care Pavilion staff, who also painted provided stones pink with the name of someone they lost to the disease for the Care Pavilion’s garden. They also took home pink light bulbs. 

For more info about AHCP, call (813) 548-8550, visit AHCarePavilionNewTampa.com. 

Hurricane Milton Aftermath — Of Tornado Near Misses & What You’re Dealing With Here

As I reflect on the horror that was — and still is for many people — Hurricane Milton, I am both happy and a little guilty to report that our power is back on (at the Silversaw Apartments on the north side of S.R. 56, west of I-75), our complex seemingly suffered little to no structural damage, the traffic signals are working and many of the stores and restaurants have been able to reopen in our area.
 
But, believe me, I know this is not the case for a large number of our readers and the State of Florida in general. And, I once again feel powerless to help, other than maybe to donate money to disaster relief, which won’t necessarily benefit the local residents in need.


Jannah and I went to stay with her daughter in Port Saint Lucie — yes, the same Port Saint Lucie (and St. Lucie County) that took the brunt of the 126 tornado warnings and nearly 40 verified tornado touchdowns as Milton’s outer bands were first reaching the “Sunshine State” early on Thursday afternoon. One of those tornadoes, which touched down less than five miles from where we were hunkered down, tore the roof off the city’s Police Department and another that hit Ft. Pierce (only 12 miles from us) is responsible for the deaths of at least five people in one subdivision — the Spanish Lakes Country Club. 
 
Scary stuff, to be sure, but those near misses were the worst we dealt with from the storm and we got an email that the power had somehow already been restored at Silversaw on Thursday night. We definitely saw less rain and wind in Port Saint Lucie than pretty much anywhere other than Miami and other areas in the southeastern corner of the state.
 
My mom, who lives in downtown Sarasota, made the decision to stay in her high-rise apartment building, which did lose power but had a backup generator that kicked in and her hurricane windows held up just fine. Even so, she was alone with her cat in her apartment and said that the winds — which exceeded 100 mph upon Milton’s landfall in nearby Siesta Key (which already had been devastated by storm surge from Hurricane Helene) — never seemed to let up from what she could only describe as a high-speed train sound right outside those windows for more than six hours. I’ve seen comments on local Facebook community pages that tell a similar story about the conditions here for those who didn’t evacuate.
 
On our drive back yesterday, which included passing through the “war zone” that is now Ft. Pierce, we saw dozens of downed power lines, non-working traffic signals and tons of damage. We felt even more fortunate — but maybe also even more guilty — to have a place to return to that has electricity and running water with our lives pretty much able to resume back to “normal.”


 
But, I know that simply isn’t true for everyone who receives our publications. Photographer Charmaine George and freelance writers Celeste McLaughlin and Iris Vitelli still have no power and TECO (Tampa Electric Co.) has told its many thousands of customers that they “hope” all power will be restored by next Thursday. That would be almost an entire week with no electricity, which is horrible to think about until you consider those who lost their homes completely and whose lives are changed forever.  
 
We have seen the buckling of a portion of Curley Rd., the flooding of the Shoppes at New Tampa plaza (BBD Blvd. at S.R. 56), trees that fell on people’s houses and many more truly frightening things that have happened since Thursday night. 
 
And, the effects of Milton clearly haven’t left us yet entirely, either. Just today, the National Guard and other military and law enforcement personnel had to help evacuate the Enclave development on Wesley Chapel Blvd.(not to be confused with The Enclave subdivision of Meadow Pointe or The Enclave Apartments on S.R. 56) because of the flooding of the nearby Cypress Creek. Flooding continues to be an issue for a lot of our other readers, too, and many have structural damage to their homes and what could be long waits for insurance claims to be processed and paid, while also having to find temporary shelter.


 
In other words, just because you and I don’t have the same full-fledged disaster on our hands doesn’t mean your neighbors are all OK. I have seen some of the nastiest comments back and forth on local Facebook communities and have seen and heard of people being nasty to workers at Costco, local restaurants and especially, at local gas stations, many of which weren’t able to replenish their supplies until this morning. It’s obvious that many people do still have to fill gas cans because they do still need to run their generators because they still don’t have power. Please try to avoid getting gas right now if you already have more than half a tank, in order to let those who desperately need it now get it. We all hate waiting on lines for things, but we don’t need to hate or fight or threaten each other because we have to do so.
 
I am praying for a speedy recovery for everyone from this but sadly, I know that many have a lot of “bad road” ahead of them. Please email me at ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com (mailto:ads@ntneighborhoodnews.com) if you have ideas about what those of us who are already recovering from Milton can do to help those who aren’t. Also feel free to send me a note about what you or someone you know are going through and please let me know if you want me to share that information with our readers, even if you want it to remain anonymous.

Business Briefs — Defining Beauty Christens New Office & Many Chamber Ribbons Cut 

Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa owner and Family Nurse Practitioner Karma Nguyen (in gray) 
celebrated the Grand Opening of her new location in the New Tampa Prof. Ctr. in Pebble Creek by 
demonstrating how her Evolvex body sculpting/contouring machine works. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

It’s been another busy month+ for Grand Openings and North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC) ribbon-cuttings in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. 

On Aug. 29, Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa officially oopened its new location — in the same New Tampa Professional Park off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Pebble Creek as before, but in a larger suite, so owner and Family Nurse Practitioner Karma Nguyen could better serve her growing number of patients and clients with more treatment rooms and more types of treatments available (as we told you about in our last issue). 

Grand Opening attendees got to see Karma demonstrate how her newest Evolvex body sculpting/contouring machine works and she also introduced permanent jewelry services and much more, as more than 50 of her patients, clients, friends and family were on hand to wish her well — and receive great “swag bags” and special offers on services. 

Defining Beauty Wellness & Med Spa is located at 8907 Regents Park Dr., Suite 330. For more info, call (813) 955-0408, or visit DefiningBeautyMedSpa.com. Memberships are available and members receive anniversary gifts and invitations to special events. 

Chamber Keeps Cutting Ribbons! 

As for who’s been cutting North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbons recently, on Aug. 22, our friends and local Realtors Chad and April Emory officially celebrated the Grand Opening of their Emorys Rock Realty, in one of the biggest Chamber ribbon-cutting events we’ve been to recently. 

Broker Chad Emory (with scissors) and his wife and fellow Realtor April (in front in white) celebrated the Grand Opening of their Emorys Rock Realty on Aug. 22. (Photo by Gary Nager) 

More than 100 people were on hand at the Signature Workspace in The Shops at Wiregrass to celebrate with Chad, the firm’s Broker, and April. They served delicious food from Rock & Brews, Falabella Family Bistro, Bubba’s 33, Texas Roadhouse and Main Event. 

Chad and April also thanked their family and friends — Mackenzie Maldonado for the beautiful balloon arrangements for the event, Vanessa Suarez for the stunning floral arrangements, Radiant Wellness Spa, AdventHealth Center Ice, Lisa Moore from the Hilton Garden Inn Tampa- Wesley Chapel (who helped plan their event) and the Hampton Inn & Suites, as well as Chamber president & CEO Hope Kennedy for her warm introduction. The Emorys also thanked their real estate team members Michelle Leann, Amanda Downing and Vanessa Suarez. 

It’s hard to believe that the Emorys could take enough time out from being at literally every Chamber ribbon cutting and every event throughout the Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas to plan, much less host, such a spectacular event. Congrats, you two! 

Emorys Rock Realty is located at 28210 Paseo Dr. For more information, visit EmorysRockRealty.com or call (813) 404-2286. 

Chiropractic Physicians Dr. Abigail & Dr. Thomas Farrar (both holding scissors) of Eden Chiropractic in the Brookside Professional Park on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel cut their Chamber ribbon on Sept. 5. 

We also want to congratulate Eden Chiropractic (in the Brookside Professional Park off S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel) owners and chiropractic physicians Abigail and Thomas Farrar, for hosting another well-attended North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting event on Sept. 5. 

The doctors Farrar turned their Grand Opening into a fun scavenger hunt and gave away raffle tickets for a number of great prizes to those who completed a row of a Bingo card. 

Eden Chiropractic specializes in the Gonstead Method, created by renowned chiropractor Clarence Gonstead in the 1920s. The Gonstead Method (or Technique) focuses on how a patient’s nervous system is functioning to better determine the underlying cause of misalignments in the neck using X-rays and other instrumentation, as well as hands-on palpations and visualization. Eden Chiropractic provides chiropractic services for adults, children, women who are pregnant and even for women who are trying to get pregnant. 

For more information about Eden Chiropractic (29141 Chapel Park Dr.), call (813) 815-8135 or visit EdenChiropracticFL.com. 

Dr. Karan (left) & Dr. Agam Patel (both holding scissors) cut a ribbon at Palm Endovascular on Sept. 18. 

Next up was the Chamber ribbon-cutting at the new Palm Endovascular medical office, located at 2344 Crestover Lane, in the Cypress Ridge Professional Park (behind Pet Paradise) on the north side of S.R. 56. 

Palm Endovascular combines the talents of renowned interventional cardiologist Dr. Agam Patel and radiologist Dr. Karan Patel, at a unique facility where minimally invasive outpatient vascular disease surgeries that normally would have to be done at a hospital can be done in the office’s surgery center — without having to visit a hospital — thanks to its cutting-edge technology. Among the conditions the doctors Patel can treat include peripheral arterial disease, varicose veins, deep vein and uterine thromboses, spinal compression fractures and more. 

For more information, call (813) 563- 0917 or visit PalmEndovascular.com. 

Embodhi Medspa 

Then, on Sept. 19, Family Nurse Practitioner Aimee Talbot, MSN, APRN, FNP-C (right), cut an NTBC ribbon at her new Embodhi Integrative Wellness & Medspa, located at 16007 N. Florida Ave. (just north of Bearss Ave.) in the Magnolia Center in Lutz. 

At her event, Aimee said she currently is focusing on Botox® and fillers, but she also will be adding direct integrative primary care, hormone optimization, medical weight loss, and IV therapy services as Embodhi grows. The Embodhi website says that, ““Our mission is rooted in the belief that Divine Health is our inherent state, accessible to all.” 

For more information, call (813) 252-7633 or visit Em-bodhi.com. — GN 

Lori Kalaaukahi Of Aloha Nui Counseling Provides Therapy With An ‘Aloha Spirit’ 

Licensed Clinical Social Worker Lori Kalaaukahi-Boone specializes in mental health therapy for teens, adults & couples. Her office is in Zephyrhills, but she also offers Telehealth appointments. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

In 2011, Lori Kalaaukahi-Boone was ready to get off the island of Oahu in Hawaii, where she was born, had been raised and lived her whole life. 

She had been working as a medical assistant and a nurse’s aide, and was struggling with mental health issues. She wanted to explore the world, so she did something unconventional for a single mom in her mid-30s. 

Lori enlisted in the Army. 

“At 34, I just barely made the age cutoff,” she says. “Growing up on a small island can become claustrophobic, and I felt like I was going in circles.” 

She asked her parents to care for her two kids, Tihani (then 17) and Ramsay (then 7), and she headed out to boot camp at Fort Jackson, SC. She found herself in basic training with kids just barely older than her older daughter back home, taking orders from people much younger than she was. 

After serving four years in the Army, she was living in Tennessee and was able to use GI Bill benefits to earn both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. 

At first, she thought she would be a nurse, but she was struggling in the program. Then, a friend who was a social worker told her about his job. 

“It just resonated with me, and I knew this is what I needed to do,” she says. “When I changed my program, everything started flowing naturally, and I knew I was supposed to be a therapist.” 

She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in 2018 and her Master’s in 2020. Now, she is credentialed as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), which means she is qualified to provide services independently. 

When she first came to Florida, Lori worked with an agency in Clearwater providing community mental health. She helped people who were homeless and struggling with addiction, as well as many other issues. 

But now, this Wesley Chapel resident is tackling her dream of having her own practice, which she opened in Zephyrhills in July 2023. She provides teens, adults and couples with mental health care via virtual and in-office appointments. 

She says she named her practice Aloha Nui Counseling Services to embrace her Hawaiian heritage, and what is important to her in her relationships with her clients. 

“‘Aloha nui’ means ‘Take good care,’ or ‘Lots of love,’” she says. “It’s basically our version of southern hospitality.” 

She says it’s important to her that she incorporates that spirit with all of her clients. 

“In my culture, we’re brought up to help others, love others and care for others,” Lori says. “I wanted to implement that here in my practice.” 

EMDR Therapy 

Lori says that, as a former soldier herself, she is especially passionate about helping those who have experienced any kind of trauma to process their issues and heal. 

One way she does this is a specialized trauma therapy called EMDR, which stands for Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing. 

Lori explains that EMDR is a well-known modality that uses eye movements to help people process trauma in a healthy way. 

“It helps your brain to process the images in your head in a healthy manner so it doesn’t get stuck,” she says. “It’s almost like how eating too much food can cause it to get stuck, and we start choking. images can get stuck in our brains, too.” 

She says EMDR puts a patient into a similar state to REM (rapid eye movement, a state of deep sleep) and she installs positive cognitions to help her patients process their trauma. 

“Once it’s completed,” she says, “you still have these images, but it’s no longer accompanied by heavy emotions.” 

Lori has completed 60 hours of training to be qualified to practice this modality. She also has used it under supervision to complete her training so she is well qualified to help those who need to work through traumatic issues and find healing from those difficult events or times of their lives. 

Lori definitely also has a heart for those who have served in the military, as not only a veteran herself, but also as the daughter of a veteran, and now the spouse of a veteran, too. 

When Lori was stationed and living in Tennessee, her parents loved to visit her there. She says it was her father who inspired her to join the Army. She knew it would “knock his socks off” for her to join, after his own 36-year military career. With the low prices relative to the cost of living in Hawaii, and the southern hospitality that reminded them of home, they relocated to Tennessee. 

Lori’s husband Barry Boone is retired from the Army and brought the family to Florida to work as a military recruiter. Tihani now lives in Hawaii, where she is married with four daughters. She is a nurse who earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2020, the same year her mom got her Master’s. 

Ramsay still lives with Lori’s parents in Tennessee and is in school to become a fashion designer, and her 12-year-old daughter Teveah is home-schooled. Barry has three adult children of his own, as well. 

With all of her experience raising children, as a single mom and as part of a blended family, she feels she has no problem relating to adolescents and understands what they’re going through. 

She encourages teenagers who are struggling or parents who see their children suffering from mental health issues to reach out to her. 

“It’s okay to not be okay,” Lori says. “Mental health is not something to be afraid of. Let’s normalize mental issues in the same way medical issues are normalized.” 

Aloha Nui Counseling offers a free initial consultation. While Lori is happy to see patients in person at her office in Zephyrhills, she also offers Telehealth appointments for anyone who prefers to meet that way. 

She works with clients who have insurance to pay the cost of counseling and those who self-pay. 

Bonita Ashe, a colleague of Lori’s who is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, says the following about Lori, which was published on Lori’s profile at PsychologyToday.com. 

“Lori has an authentic style and warm demeanor and she will immediately calm an anxious spirit,” Bonita says. “If you need a kind and compassionate therapist, your search ends here. Lori is EMDR trained and a therapist I would trust with any client.” 

To schedule a free consultation, call Lori at (808) 342-1042, email her at LLorik808@ gmail.com, or visit AlohaNuiService.com. Aloha Nui Counseling is located at 5344 9th St., Suite 105, in downtown Zephyrhills, and appointments are offered in person or via Telehealth.