Pam Kern  MS, LCSW

DIRECTOR, MARITIME MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

In support of the company’s expanded services addressing the mental health and wellness of seafarers, Port Medical engaged Pam Kern, a U.S. licensed clinical psychotherapist and maritime mental health expert as the new Director of Maritime Mental Health Services. Her maritime career started in the cruise sector in 1996 on board ships as a Guest Relations Manager, directing a myriad of guest issues for 2500 passengers. This led to her clinical mental health research and a Master’s Degree in Advanced Practice of Clinical Social Work within the World of Work from Columbia University in New York City in 2011.

Pam drives maritime mental health conversations with firsthand ship experience with profound understanding of seafarer dynamics and cultures, on and off a ship. She is known for her innovative approaches designing prevention tools and intervention mental health programs. In concert with her duties for Port Medical Management, Pam is currently working in private practice as a clinician treating many conditions caused by trauma and is the owner of Kern and Co., LLC., a maritime mental health consultancy. As a global speaker, she shares her expertise at events with The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Philippines, Dutch Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, PHILCAMSAT, MARINA, Informa-CrewConnect Global, SeaTrade Cruise Talks, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and Fugro, to name a few.