Joshua Jones

I predominantly work with the LGBTQ+ community as well as young men struggling with social anxiety disorder. Do you struggle with severe shyness and poor self-confidence? I know that overcoming it is possible! Many come to therapy for social anxiety because of childhood trauma and how it has manifested in their adult lives. Often this manifests in feelings of poor self-confidence, poor self-worth, and poor self-confidence. At its root, the fundamental belief of those who have social anxiety is the belief, “I am not enough.” Clients get into the habit of comparing themselves to others and it makes them feel inadequate and insecure. Over time clients begin to avoid situations that elicit their anxiety, particularly social situations. This can lead to social isolation and loneliness. Clients will present with complaints of frequent panic attacks, not having a romantic partner, not having friends, not being happy in their jobs and feeling disconnected from life. They are labeled by others as shy, quiet, or introverted. This scenario described myself for much of my life which gives me lived experience to better able to assist you. I help individuals combat their social fears and begin to live a rich and fulfilling life. I do this through cognitive behavioral therapy techniques primarily but also integrate solution-focused therapy, assertiveness training, exposure therapy, and acceptance & commitment therapy. Whether you're a teen struggling to make friends and socialize or you are an adult unable to speak up at work meetings or unable to ask someone out on a date, I'm here for you! Seeking therapy can be frightening but I want to assure you that you will be most welcome if you take that leap of faith!

I do not provide couples counseling!

My approach to therapy is akin to humanistic therapy likened to the work of psychologist, Carl Rogers. Rogers said, “We cannot change, we cannot move away from what we are, until we thoroughly accept what we are. Then change seems to come about almost unnoticed.” Sessions are loosely structured but I believe the client takes the lead and through speaking and gaining insight, identifies their own solutions. For clients struggling with social anxiety disorder, a more structured therapy approach is utilized.

In our first session together, I will orient you to therapy and my expectations while you are in treatment. We will then discuss your concerns and will determine if I am a good fit for you. If we both decide I am a good fit, we will proceed and set treatment goals to begin working on together. If we decide I am not a good fit, I may be able to help you find a therapist on the platform that may best meet your needs. Clients will learn that I utilize graded task exposure which includes systematic desensitization as my primary treatment modality for treating social anxiety. This will require you to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself but we will practice this in the safety of a therapy session. If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community and seeking therapy, I will discuss whether the specific problem you are seeking help with is best suited to my skill set.

***Please be advised I currently only work on Fridays and do not offer evening appointments at this time. Also, I am generally unable to see clients weekly at this time and see the vast majority of my clients every other week. If you are seeking weekly therapy, I may not be the best fit for you at this time. However, I encourage you to ask and I will certainly try to accommodate you if possible.