Counseling Services Staff

Frank Kuo received his M.S. in Counseling and Counselor Education at Indiana University at Bloomington and earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He utilizes Rogers’ Client-centered approach. Frank listens and tries to understand how things are from the client's point of view. He treats the client with the utmost respect and regard. Frank also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The basis of this orientation is around the concept of peoples’ thoughts affecting their actions and if their thoughts change, their actions can change, even if the situation stays the same. He uses many different strategies and techniques in this school of thought, along with borrowing from other approaches if he believes it will be beneficial for his client.

Frank looks at a student’s entire life, i.e. social, family, personal beliefs, environment, and genetics. He views mental health as a continuum, where students should be continuing their growth to the next stage and reaching their highest quality of life. Frank’s areas of interest include multicultural issues, international student outreach, diversity issues and cross-cultural adjustment, spirituality issues, supervision and training, and group counseling. Frank is able to provide bilingual counseling in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Andrea joined UH Hilo Counseling Services in 2025. She holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in Los Angeles and has been a practicing therapist since 2010. Before joining UH Hilo, Andrea provided mental health services in higher education settings at College of the Redwoods and Cal Poly Humboldt in coastal Northern California. Earlier in her career she worked for a small rural county mental health agency in the mountains of Northern California and before that at Kaiser Permanente Addiction Medicine in Los Angeles.

Andrea’s clinical approach is grounded in evidence-based practices, with primary modalities including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and mindfulness-based interventions. She works from a trauma-informed and culturally humble lens, supporting students in developing emotional regulation, healthy communication, boundary-setting skills, and a deeper sense of self-awareness and self-worth.

Andrea has also been a supervisor to master’s level marriage and family therapy students since 2019.

Andrea is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and collaborative therapeutic environment. She welcomes UH Hilo students to reach out for support during their academic journey.

Reece Uratani earned his B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Hilo and is currently pursuing an EdD in Educational Psychology at Chaminade University of Honolulu. He currently works as an academic counselor with the TRIO Student Support Services Program at UH Hilo, supporting undergraduate students’ academic success and personal development. His professional background includes experience as a research analyst focused on adolescent and young adult development - examining mental health, identity, and career development among high school and college students in Hawaii - as well as systems-level work as a care coordinator and program manager with the Hawaii Department of Health Early Intervention Section. Reece is committed to providing culturally responsive, holistic, and student-centered support.