Kekoa Tree
Origin: Hawaiian
Pronunciation ‘keh-KOH-ah’
Meaning – brave one, bold, brave, fearless, warrior
For over 25 years I have always worked in the rehab and wellness field. I am both a Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist and later on in my career became a certified Health and Life coach. My dream was always to create a centre that addressed individuals as a ‘whole’ and not have to search for each therapy and intervention for myself or my children by going to many different agencies or centres in bits and pieces. My belief is that when we treat a person as a ‘whole’ (as compared to addressing each element individually, the results are far greater than the sum of their parts). This is very much in line with my own family life where I was remarried in 2017 in Hawaii and 2 families became one (a blended family with 5 children).
Owner Yvonne Oliveira with her husband, Sean Mills.
Nuptials in Oahu, Hawaii
Our family of 7 that inspired the founding of Kekoa Tree Inc.
Our 5 children are now teenagers (well, actually the eldest just turned 20) and we have faced many hardships with each of our kids, their feeling of belonging, their need for support and understanding, therapies and mental wellness ‘check-ins.’ Through it all, each of our children has handled their wellbeing and growth in ways that were always courageous and brave. We have addressed issues of anxiety, fears, depression and perfectionism. We have carved out space for each of our children to make them feel loved, important, recognized and heard. We have spent years nurturing their talents and strengths, and working through their fears and insecurities.
The word ‘kekoa’ has Hawaiian origin and means ‘brave one’ which is essentially the feel we wanted to create where our clients acknowledge the fact that they need support from community services such as mental health, emotional and physical well-being, as well as creating opportunities for learning and growth experiences that bring various populations in the community together (i.e., creating opportunities for seniors so they don’t feel so isolated, creating workshops to teach teens about nutrition, meal planning and preparation). In our home community of Milton, which houses the head office of Kekoa Tree, and where we began taking root, we realized the need for programs that target specific populations which could allow for a feeling of ‘belonging.’ Thus the chosen name ‘Kekoa’ as it takes courage and bravery to reach out and become immersed in community in a productive and positive way.
Our vision was to create a community hub for families for all their therapy and wellness needs. The reason we chose the name Kekoa Tree was because just as a tree grows and spread roots, it is through the professionalism of many disciplines that we can address the many needs of emotional, physical, psychological and social well-being of the community which grows together as does the kekoa tree which grows in Hawaii.
The word ‘kekoa’ holds true meaning behind what we stand for as a family. It is what our family of 7 represents and is the essence of our goal to create this for other families in our community. Our centre and our business model represent strength and confidence. Kekoa Tree provides the services needed to build on that very strength and confidence that brought you here.
We welcome you and respect how hard it is to take the giant step to seek services and support.
My Sincere Best Wishes,
Yvonne Oliveira
Founder, Kekoa Tree and HearSay Speech and Hearing Centre
M.Cl.Sc., SLP(C), Aud., Cert AVT, Reg. CASLPO
Speech-Language Pathologist, Audiologist & Auditory-Verbal Therapist
Certified Business & Life Coach