Joseph Evangelisti

Hello! I am a clinical social worker with five years of experience in a range of settings from outpatient substance use to primary care clinics. I have extensive experience with treating anxiety disorders, OCD, depression, and difficulty coping with stressors or life changes.

I consider it my responsibility to openly tell you my experience level with your concerns and to be upfront if I don't think I can help. I work with many people who have either never tried therapy or have tried therapy and been hurt by a bad experience. My approach is to be very transparent about what I am doing and why so that you have an understanding of how we are working together and approaching your goals. It is your life after all, and in therapy you are my boss.

I promise I am keeping the acronyms to a minimum, but I work from a blend of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

What does this mean? I view much of human suffering as coming not just from the things that happen to us, but also the stories we tell about ourselves and the world. Let's say a person is rejected- anyone would find that painful. But the person whose mind says cruel things to them afterwards is going to suffer more, and will be less likely to open themselves up again.

No therapist can make it so you are never rejected, never have a loved one die, or never face a major crisis in your life. The space in which a change can be made is the way you speak to yourself when things fall apart, so that you can become more flexible and attuned to what matters. That is my focus, clinically, and I have many techniques and interventions to get there but this can only work if we have a shared understanding of the problems you are facing.

A part of my job is to explain how and why our minds suffer, but you are the expert on yourself and I want to make sure I understand your perspective and that you understand the rationale for what we work on together. Therapy is very collaborative, and should not feel like either a lecture or directionless listening.

I want my clients to feel understood, and capable of giving me feedback should they wish to.