Licensed to practice in Illinois and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Military/Veterans and 9 more.
(he/him)
New to Grow
Hello, I'm Josh. I am a practicing therapist with the Dept of Veterans Affairs. I specialize in working with veterans and their families toward living better lives. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW); I earned my master's in clinical social work from the University of Utah, and my undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa. I've been in practice for five years. I am married, I love to play the guitar and piano, I have a cat named Cashmere. I enjoy science, learning, and I believe in living each day as fully as we can. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together!
Our first session will be a means of getting to know you and the issues you'd like to work on. Prior to diving in, we will begin our session by going over the basics of therapy, including limits of confidentiality and expectations for both myself - and for you - to get the most out of our time together.
I believe in a person-centered approach - meaning holding what you say without judgement no matter what and working together toward common goals that work for you. It's true; therapy without your voice truly being heard doesn't work!
Whether setting out into one's education or career; in the midst of life and its ups and downs; or finding meaning in life at any stage, I'm happy to work on your journey alongside you during our time. Setting and working toward concrete goals, such as "I'd to improve my relationship with my friends by reaching out and engaging more" is one of the best steps we can (and will!) take together.
Many problems we encounter in our lives are potentially "solvable", such that we can take actions toward fixing the problem itself. What about those problems that don't seem to fully go away, no matter how hard we try? This is where the idea of Acceptance comes into play. Simply, if we can learn to accept what we cannot control, and commit to doing what we can, like things that bring value to our lives. This easy to learn, difficult-to-master approach has been found to help millions worldwide struggling with many conditions from chronic pain to grief, from depression to anxiety.
Some problems we encounter in our lives are potentially "solvable", such that we can take actions toward fixing the problem itself. Sometimes, we hold ourselves back by thinking about the problem in unhelpful ways. If this sounds familiar - we've all done this, you're not alone! We can begin by addressing potential "cognitive errors" that may be holding you back.
Motivational Interviewing isn't so much a "method" as it is a way of being with other people. I believe in the potential of each person - to live their fullest lives. Sometimes, all we need is to be heard to gain perspective. We then use this newfound understanding to change our lives for the better! I would be happy to discuss more about this concept in our sessions.