Hawaii psychiatrist Dr. Doreen Fukushima: "I never wanted to be a psychiatrist." Now she's bringing TMS to isolated Pacific islands with year-long wait lists.
In this raw, unfiltered conversation on The Kind Revolution Podcast, Dr. Georgine Nanos interviews Dr. Doreen Fukushima, a Kauai-based psychiatrist who's revolutionizing mental health access in Hawaii through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Dr. Fukushima discusses the brutal reality of psychiatric care in isolated communities - where wait times stretch to a year and she's the only psychiatrist serving entire islands.
Dr. Fukushima breaks down critical topics most doctors avoid: cannabis-induced psychosis in the 2% with genetic predisposition, why psychiatrists need mental health checks too, and how drug-induced symptoms can trigger permanent psychiatric conditions in developing brains under 25. She reveals why the ExoMind device is changing patient experiences from intimidating to spa-like, and how TMS applications are expanding beyond depression to stroke recovery, chronic pain, and preventive brain health.
TIMESTAMPS:01:26 - Journey from forensic pathology dreams to psychiatry08:09 - What really happens in different psychiatric settings10:03 - Why people fear psychiatrists (honest answers)13:18 - Mind-body connection: when physical symptoms are mental16:11 - Six years of TMS in Hawaii: access challenges23:48 - ExoMind device: game-changing patient experience28:28 - Psychiatry gatekeeping vs collaborative care debate31:39 - Mental health access crisis in Hawaii (1-year wait lists)37:59 - Cannabis myths: drug-induced psychosis explained43:04 - Recreational drugs vs prescription medications45:30 - TMS for prevention: treating before crisis49:04 - Final thoughts: changing the stigma together
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:✓ Reality of psychiatric care in isolated island communities✓ How cannabis can trigger permanent psychosis in 2% of users✓ Why brain development under age 25 matters for drug use✓ ExoMind device vs traditional intimidating TMS machines✓ TMS applications beyond depression: stroke, pain, prevention✓ Why psychiatrists should collaborate with primary care✓ Mental health access crisis statistics✓ Drug interactions with TMS and surgical anesthesia✓ Breaking the "crazy" stigma around psychiatric care✓ Future vision: TMS as first-line prevention
ABOUT DR. DOREEN FUKUSHIMA:Hawaii-born psychiatrist serving Kauai's Wilcox Medical Center. Founder of Ho'omana Brain Health and Wellness Spa. Specializes in interventional psychiatry including TMS, esketamine, and ECT. Graduate of University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine.
ABOUT DR. GEORGINE NANOS:Board-certified physician pioneering accessible TMS therapy. Advocate for integrating mental health into primary care settings.
KIND HEALTH GROUP & KIND TMS📍 North County San Diego, California🌍 Serving patients worldwide🏥 Comprehensive mental health and TMS therapy🌐 kindhealthgroup.com
HO'OMANA BRAIN HEALTH AND WELLNESS SPA📍 Kauai, Hawaii🏥 Interventional psychiatry and TMS🌺 Serving Hawaii's island communities