More than a year after Maui fires, community organizer promotes therapy, mental wellness | News [Video]

MAUI, Hawai’i (Island News) — As many on Maui continue to heal from the 2023 wildfires, one advocate is encouraging others to get mental health support.

West Maui resident Blake Ramelb said he is proof that therapy actually works. So going into the new year, more than a year after Maui’s tragic wildfires, he’s encouraging others to seek help as well. 

“On August 8th, when the fire happened, when I was watching our hometown burn down, one of the first thoughts that came to mind was there’s going to be a lot of trauma from this,” Ramelb recalled. 

But even before the Lahaina fire, Ramelb had another traumatic experience.

When he was living in Colorado in 2016, Ramelb was held hostage and shot at, narrowly escaping death.

“It …