Joseph Millwood

I'm Joseph, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Hartford, Connecticut. I've spent over a decade working in crisis intervention before transitioning to private practice — which means I'm not rattled by complexity. I trained at the University of the West Indies and bring a deep understanding of Caribbean cultural experience, Black identity, and the ways that structural and community contexts shape mental health. I work with adolescents, adults, couples, and families across Connecticut via telehealth, and I specialize in trauma, OCD (including ERP), anxiety, depression, family conflict, and anger. I accept insurance through Headway. If you've been looking for a therapist who gets the full picture — not just the diagnosis — I'd be glad to connect. WH Y

My approach is evidence-based and tailored — which in practice means I use what's actually been shown to work, adapted to who you are. For trauma, I use Trauma-Focused CBT and trauma-informed frameworks that address not just the memory but what it did to your nervous system and relationships. For OCD, I use Exposure and Response Prevention, the gold-standard treatment that most therapists don't specialize in. For families and adolescents, I draw on family systems therapy and motivational interviewing. Mindfulness-based approaches run through all of it. I'm direct about what I observe and what I think will help — I don't believe in vague therapy that circles without landing anywhere. You'll always know what we're working on and why.

The first session is about me understanding you — not just your symptoms, but what your life actually looks like and what's been getting in the way. I'll ask about what brought you in, what's been tried before, and what you need to feel like this is actually going to be different. I work with adults, adolescents, and families, so if you're bringing a teenager or coming as a couple or family, we'll talk about how to make the first session useful for everyone in the room. By the end of the hour, you'll have a clear sense of whether my approach fits. I'm direct — I'll tell you what I think, and I'll tell you if I'm not the right fit so you don't waste your time.