Our Vision & Values
Co-creating resilient and sustainable communities around the world!
Seeds of Wellbeing... shared Ethics...
rooted in Compassion... stemmed Accountability
co-creates Resiliency & Effectiveness...
You kNOW More
WE CARE
Introduction
Aloha,
This is Dr. Valerie Simonsen, founder and volunteer president of You Know More. Thank you for learning more about our organization.
In the 1980s, I experienced a series of near-death experiences. After the final one in 1989, I awoke from surgery inspired to serve as a bridge between traditional and conventional medicines. As a result, I decided then to expand my practice to include international crisis relief work.
My background as an Emergency Medical Technician and first responder, followed by decades of experience as a naturopathic physician, prepared me with valuable tools to help with the healing process.
In 2010, while volunteering at the Bumi Sehat clinic in Bali, I was introduced to a woman who had been paralyzed for ten years due to a massive stroke. She was 35 at the time and existed in a crystalline fetal state, unable to walk, talk and even swallow. Within weeks of restorative care at the clinic, she started to recover her abilities, which amazed her family, friends, and even the medical team. As she continued to recover, I realized that the source of her healing was our shared belief that she could heal. Looking back, it is clear that this experience was the conception of You Know More.
Click above to play video... WE CARE
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I witnessed too many of my peers struggling and dying from overwork and burnout. And I saw in myself the same tendency to sacrifice my own self-care. It was clearly the time for You Know More to be born.
You Know More values the innate wisdom of the body, mind and soul that is our birthright. Through the You Know More program, we offer restorative support for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others. We invite you to join us on this journey.
Thank you very much for your interest in our mission and vision.
Our Team
Vice President, Practitioner
Secretary, Practitioner
CFO
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The Nature of YOUr Nature... the Journey hOMe to YOU kNOW MORE.....
I believe in you!
Dr Valerie lives in her internal knowing & honors everyone's innate wisdom. As a revered metaphysician, licensed naturopathic physician, humanitarian, human rights activist, philosopher, philanthropist, founder & volunteer president of the non-profit You Know More, she is a global citizen, serving the world with 43 years of global healthcare. She is distinguished as an international expert in mind body spirit medicine, Earth based ecological medicine, play therapy, integrative medicine, integrative functional wellness, disaster relief, author, illustrator, public speaker, television production, fashion designer, & expressive arts docere coined as craftivism. She facilitates individuals to return to the nature of their nature & reconcile their value. Naturally this effect ripples out to the care & health of local & global communities.
As the intuitive bridge between ancient wisdom & the modern world and addressing the GAP between the Earth & her clients, she believes in your innate wisdom & supports in personal renaissance for all.
Dr Valerie has co-created and co-facilitated over 30 events as
she continues to serve Maui's recovery with 10 months of integrative medicine to those affected by the fires. Educating & empowering individuals, organizations & communities as the purification & renewal flows through the island.
Maria Knauer is a renowned holistic health care practitioner and therapeutic spa expert with over 38 years of experience. She has built a strong reputation working with clients from all corners of the globe, offering a wide range of healing modalities tailored to their unique needs.
With licenses in massage therapy and esthetics, Maria's expertise extends beyond traditional spa treatments. She has received extensive training in various healing practices, including classical homeopathy from the American Medical College of Homeopathy. Maria's knowledge in this field led her to write the acclaimed "ABC's of Homeopathy" article series for Maui Mama Magazine.
Maria's qualifications also include a diploma in Ayurvedic medicine and certification as a Healing Touch practitioner. For a decade, she dedicated her skills at Kaiser Permanent's volunteer Healing Touch clinic on Maui. Additionally, Maria is an accomplished aromatherapist, reflexologist, and Reiki practitioner.
Before relocating to Hawai'i in 2000, Maria owned and operated her own spa in the United Kingdom, where she served more than 35,000 clients. She then joined the Four Seasons Resort Maui Spa, where she worked for 21 years. In 2021, Maria launched Maria Gold Wellness, her own wellness company..
In 2022, Maria underwent Atma Kriya Yoga teacher training and initiation on the enchanting island of Mauritius. She became an initiated devotee under the guidance of her Guru, Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda, in 2021, and in 2017, she became an Om chanting leader with Bhakti Marga.
Maria's dedication to personal growth led her to complete the Leadership in Health and Well-Being program at Duke University in 2023, through Duke Integrative Medicine. Her commitment to advancing her skills and knowledge allows her to provide cutting-edge wellness solutions to her clients.
In 2023, Maria lead transformational wellness retreats on the picturesque island of Maui, immersing participants in a rejuvenating experience. Looking ahead, she plans to expand her retreats internationally in 2024, sharing her expertise and passion for holistic health on a global scale.
Maria is currently serving as the Vice President of the nonprofit organization "You Know More." She combines her extensive experience in holistic wellness with a passion for social change to empower individuals and communities with knowledge and resources for personal growth and well-being. Maria's commitment to promoting holistic health and her role as Vice President exemplify her dedication to making a positive impact and transforming lives.
Maria also nurtures her spirit through global travels, visiting sacred temples and sites alongside her clients and Guru, creating memories and enriching her understanding of the world's diverse spiritual traditions.
Beyond her professional achievements, Maria cherishes her role as a mother to her two beautiful children, Zak and Anela. She resides on the slopes of Haleakalā on Maui, where she finds solace and joy surfing in Hawaii’s blissful waves.
Embarking on a profound journey of self-discovery into Aloha Mā, Jessica Brazil, embraces her indigenous & multicultural roots intricately tied to diverse landscapes bringing her home to Maui. Her life journey is deeply interwoven with the resilience of transforming historical traumas into victorious re-discovery and application to the present moment valuing many traditions in their modern application. Jessica's life path has been an honoring of these stories, discovery and repurposing of imprints, finding new ways to connect to ancestry, story telling, the elements, and fostering healing spaces and circles for community growth.
With humility and devotional passion, Jessica weaves the tapestry of self-care, spiritual connection, and mindfulness into the fabric of people's lives. As a clinical social work practitioner, healer, visionary, and community leader, she founded Mindful Living Group in 2015 and Healer’s Voices Podcast in 2023. The 100 Mindful Days Project, authored by Jessica in 2016, encourages daily practice of being present in the moment in an intentional way, while her work integrates cultural diversity and spirituality into health care breaking down stigma barriers and earning her recognition with the International Outstanding Leadership Award in Healthcare 2023 and Visionary Leadership award in 2024. Jessica has been invited to speak on an International panel about community care, self care, and integrating indigenous and complementary practices in modern healthcare.
Jessica also remains active in community care partnerships through the Ho’oikaika Partnership Legislative Committee Board supporting students and pre-licensed therapists as Field Placement Site, Member of the Governor’s Office of Wellness & Resilience Coordinated Mental Health Disaster Response Team, Rotary Maui Leadership Committee, and former NASW board member. Her passion however remains in more intimate and alive circles of creativity.
Drawing from 25 years of social work expertise spanning from a BSW, MSW, and resolving her own trauma healing journey into a transformation of great fortune, Jessica leads workshops, groups, and ceremonies, collaborates with community leaders and organizations, offers talks, retreats, and steps into moments of opportunity to inspire individuals to embrace healing, change, and growth. While overseeing offices on 2 islands, a statewide Telehealth platform in Hawaii, and managing a team of professionals, she remains committed to her roots while expanding her branches, infusing mindfulness, breathwork, somatic movement, science and spiritual based tools, and culturally rich practices into her lifestyle and work.
Jessica's influence extends globally, speaking at events by Medtronic Foundation, Mental Health America, NASW, Health 2.0, and consulting for organizations like the Lili’ukalani Trust, Seabury, and local and global businesses. Beyond her clinical roles, Jessica has held roles as a researcher both at Eastern Washington University and a collective working with UH Manoa on Psychedelic Treatments of PTSD, and practicum field placement the past 10 years. Jessica continually expands her expertise with advanced training in Brain Spotting, Clinical Hypnosis, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Mindfulness Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, TF-CBT, Sound and Somatic Therapies, and more. Having studied with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and Kundalini Research Institute also expanded her toolkit across the lifespan.
Her current focus is on healthcare workers, first responders, and community organizational leadership post disaster utilizing her background in trauma interventions, integrative approaches to health, peer-to-peer models of care, and holistic healing.
In 2023, the Maui Wildfires expanded Jessica into working more closely with community organizations such as Maui Medic Healer’s Hui, Sacred Spaces to Heal, After the Fire, Government Leaders, and deepening her relationships with Hawaiian Kahu’s and Indigenous Medicine Persons lending their wisdom. Recognizing all life as sacred, Jessica's impact extends to healthcare & policy advocacy, where she has lobbied for human rights and policies that enhance human dignity and protection of natural resources. Her journey of self-care is rooted in indigenous, yogic and meditative practices continually unfolding to adapt to life’s events as she joyfully inspires others into recognizing and embracing their roles and strengths and imparting transformative self-care and community care tools for resilience into organizations, systems, families and individuals.
As a visionary, Jessica loves to bridge macro healing and harmonious intentions into materialized form. Jessica has a deep love for surfing, music, and sacred spaces with an expanded connection to ‘awa as a root for heart healing and Hawaiian fern medicines for emotional intelligence. Jessica invites us to stretch the possibilities of time and space through the circular systems, calendars, and remains a curious observer that finds wonder and inclusiveness in all experiences. For what we focus on grows and the unknown is a vast landscape to explore. All in the journey of living live well and living aloha.
Prior to retiring in 2020, Craig was a senior director of product management at a large aerospace corporation located in Southern California, using the power of data to enhance commercial airline safety and improve operational efficiency. He has extensive experience in creating innovative products and solutions and bringing them to market and was responsible for the financial performance of projects, programs, and product team building.
One of his favorite projects was leading the development of a simulation of the International Space Station’s power system. Earlier in Craig’s career he was an accountant and financial auditor for a worldwide accounting firm, Coopers & Lybrand.
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Raechel has her Bachelors in Business with an Emphasis in Accounting from Coastal Carolina Community College. She was born and raised in the Ruby Valley in Southwest Montana. She served two years in the U.S. Army and has traveled and lived in Florida, Coastal NC, East Bay, CA, and now resides in Phoenix, AZ.
In 2014, she obtained a certificate of Web Design HTML and CSS Certification from Online Consulting, Inc. in Sacramento, CA. She is also certified in Graphic Design from Shaw University as of April 2020. She can navigate all website design platforms and has access to and acumen for all Adobe Creative Cloud™ applications. She is also certified in Google Analytics as of 2023. As of 2024, Raechel is specifically dedicated to Wix website management. She plans to become a certified Wix editor by 2025.
Through diligent research and dedication, Raechel fuses creativity and technical skills to create professional, original, and captivating digital media.
Raechel is passionate about helping clients reach their goals, whether it’s through websites, social media, written content, digital marketing channels, or consulting and teaching.