Elijah Pierick recently launched Better Counseling Center, a Hawaii-based counseling and therapy business, just before securing his seat to represent state House District 39 for a second term.
Representing neighborhoods like Royal Kunia, Waikele, Waipahu, Ewa and Waipahu, the Republican incumbent, who won in November by 20 votes over Democrat Corey Rosenlee, said his new venture won’t disrupt or conflict with his duties as a public servant.
"Being a state representative is a part-time job. We’re only in session for 60 registered days out of the year, but our committee assignment days bring us out to about 3.5 months,” Pierick told Aloha State Daily. “I won back-to-back elections and am running my own practice now. Things are going well.”
He said at age 19, he began pursuing a master’s degree in intercultural studies, minoring in pastoral counseling. In his early 20s, he watched Darren Wilson’s documentary “Holy Ghost,” and a scene about faith-based counseling piqued his interest.
“A group was practicing inner healing with military veterans who’d experienced PTSD, and their counseling model was praying with the veterans, asking them to recall a memory and picture Jesus there with them when it happened. It brought a lot of healing to the veterans, so I thought, ‘I’d like to go deeper into that.’”
This led Pierick to focus his training as a doctor of ministry in pastoral counseling, later becoming a board certified chaplain and licensed mental health counselor.
Last year, he thought that he would join an existing practice but after applying around the state, it was clear the pay would not be sustainable. “I soon found out they would get, let’s say, $130 in billable hours, and I would get paid $6, so I asked myself, ‘If I started my own practice, would I get to keep all of it?’”
Pierick added, “I’d then ask why they needed to take that much of a cut and what the expenses were? And they said, ‘Liability insurance; a space to meet given the clientele, etc.’”
After some research, he turned to mentors and Youtube videos to learn more about starting a business.
Asked about the startup costs, Pierick said the real investment had been the years and money spent earning certifications and gaining clinical work hours. The business startup costs were comparatively inexpensive, just$200 to put up the website and about $80 for liability insurance.
"I was surprised at how many interested clients I had at first – just from one Facebook post and word-of-mouth,” he continued. “Within three weeks, I got credentialed with five insurance companies (I was told it takes six months), so I think that’s the favor of the Lord.”
Pierick said what sets his company apart, “is my dissertation on emotional forgiveness – that’s my specialty,” adding that he also has several years of counseling experience in grief, family strife, trauma, as well as experience working with kids.
Better Counseling Center is open to new patients from keiki to kupuna for in-person and telehealth appointments across the Islands. Pricing per session ranges from $130 to $150. Currently, the business accepts more than 10 insurance companies, with more on the way.
In 2025, his goal is to “see more patients get the help they need.”
Outside of work, Pierick unwinds by volunteering in the community, teaching Bible lessons, exercising and spending time with his girlfriend, family and friends.
As a legislator, “I’m most looking forward to bad bills dying, and potentially good bills passing. … I hope the bills that we pass in 2025 actually make a difference,” he said. “I’m pro getting rid of all taxes for almost everything.
"Whoever is reading these articles should pray for our state to get better. We’re not going to have a changed state until we have a changed heart,” Pierick said. We have some of the lowest voter turnout in the nation and so, the apathy affects our people, and without them voting for good leaders, we’re not going to have good leaders.”
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
