Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Hello, my name is Joe Balestrieri and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has worked with children, adolescents and adults who have decided to strive for positive change. I strongly believe that you are the sole expert of your own life. My role as a therapist is primarily to listen and to assist you in gaining the insight and tools to accomplish your personal goals. I understand how difficult it can be to ask for help and therefore, I do not take your decision to pursue therapy lightly. I aim to treat everyone I work with kindly, genuinely, and deserving of their trust as we work together in a safe and respectful therapeutic space.
Many of the people I have worked with seek therapy for a wide range of reasons. These include but are not limited to: persistent feelings of sadness, overwhelming stress and anxiety, struggling with difficult life transitions, substance use, trauma, grief and loss, problematic sexual behaviors, exploration of sexuality and gender identity, men’s issues, and managing expectations imposed on us by outside sources. I treat these and all reasons to seek out therapy with the same utmost care, seriousness, and respect. I have also worked with and supported family members and significant others of their loved ones experiencing these issues. Additionally, I have worked directly with child welfare and juvenile justice populations providing both support and therapy to these youths and their families.
Just as there isn’t one right reason to seek therapy, I don’t believe there is one set therapy most appropriate for every individual person. Therapy with me will be tailored to your specific needs, strengths and comfort. Our work together will focus on your past, your present, and your future. I utilize a Psychodynamic approach to explore the story of your life and to what events and relationships have influenced you into being the person you are today. I want to know how you see yourself in the present and what you want your life to look like in the future. Together, we can work on accomplishing these goals. To that end, I also utilize evidenced-based techniques and approaches from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Solution Based Therapy, among others, to work towards the goals that we create together.
I genuinely applaud you on taking the first steps to changing your life and for seeking individual growth. I hope you decide to give me the opportunity to support you in taking the next steps forward.—
Thank you,
Joe