Matthew Shima, LMFT

About me

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist (CA#113018, HI#718) based on the island of Maui, Hawai’i serving residents of Hawai’i, California and Japan.

I am a multiethnic Japanese American originally from Southern California having also grown up in Hawai’i and Pennsylvania. As an adult I immigrated to Japan where I learned Japanese and deeply rooted myself in countryside village life. The blossoms in spring, bird songs in summer, the fall moon, and winter snow are still natsukashii (nostalgic) for me.

I’ve spent time in various parts of the world and have become well versed in crossing oceans, in crossing cultures, and in bridging gaps. As I move through the world I have the experience of both fitting in nowhere and fitting in everywhere. Living cross-culturally has added to my flexibility, my ability to tolerate ambiguity, and feeling comfortable in the space between. In Japanese we say, aimai. I have grown to understand my identity as ever flowing and dynamic. Through this experience my life has come to be about creating a sense of place and belonging, aiding connection and harmony, and cultivating compassion and meaning.

What is your story?

Professional experience

Additional areas of focus: Career difficulties, Coping with life changes, Communication Problems, Expats, First Responder Issues, Multicultural Concerns, Polyamory / Nonmonogamous Relationships, Self-Love, Young Adult Issues

Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Existential Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Somatic Therapy

License information

HI LMFT MFT-718

CA LMFT 113018