How Brain Health Hawaii Helped a Military Mom Find Her Way Back KAILUA, Hawai‘i — When Harley Bruning arrived on Oʻahu in 2022 with her husband, a Marine Corps specialist stationed at MCBH, she imagined paradise. But behind the beaches and sunshine, Harley found herself overwhelmed — navigating new motherhood, far away from loved ones, and the emotional weight of isolation. “I was living in survival mode,” she said. “Every day felt the same. I was trying to be the best mom I could, but I was exhausted — physically, mentally, and emotionally.” After years of pushing through symptoms like brain fog, migraines, and numbness in her hands, Harley knew something had to change. “I wasn’t just tired — I couldn’t think clearly or be present with my son,” she said. “I felt like I was losing pieces of myself.” Her primary care provider referred her to Brain Health Hawaii, where she underwent an EEG brain map — a non-invasive scan of brain activity that helps pinpoint areas of dysregulation. What she learned changed everything. “When Dr. Shipley and Dr. Ferri showed me the results, I cried,” she said. “It finally made sense. The way my brain was functioning — especially after trauma and postHOW BRAIN HEALTH HAWAII HELPED A MILITARY MOM FIND HER WAY BACK partum — wasn’t my fault. There was a path forward.” Harley became the first patient at Brain Health Hawaii’s Kailua clinic, receiving personalized transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy — a noninvasive treatment that uses gentle magnetic pulses to restore balance in the brain. “I called it my self-care time,” she said. “There’s no pain. You just sit quietly and feel this soft tapping. Some days I’d meditate, other days I’d nap — and slowly, the fog began to lift.” As the weeks passed, Harley began sleeping through the night. Her thoughts sharpened, her mood brightened, and — most importantly — she reconnected with her 5year-old son. Brain Health Hawaii has locations in Kahala, Aiea, Kailua, and a new clinic in Mililani — and proudly accepts TRICARE insurance for military families. While Harley and her family have since moved back to Nebraska after her husband completed his military service, the care she received at Brain Health Hawaii during her time on Oʻahu continues to shape her life. “To any mom out there who’s struggling — especially military wives — your pain is real,” she said. “And healing is possible.” “It finally made sense. The way my brain was functioning — especially after trauma and postpartum — wasn’t my fault. There was a path forward.” — Harley Bruning
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