Joy Acaso Psychotherapy, LCSW

I took the long road to get here and become a therapist. Looking back, I think it was always in my heart to help people in this capacity, but I didn't know what to call it. As a woman of Asian heritage, I didn't know anything about mental health. When I was 18, I began to work with the youth and their families at my church. One would think that was enough to convince me to go into the counseling field, but it didn't at first. In fact, I changed my major five times in college until I landed on public management during my last semester. I had to take a course on child welfare and that's when I fell in love with social work. To this day, I'm a social worker to the core. After I completed my degree, I continued my work with adolescents and families. It's been 15 years since and it continues to be a great journey. Now I help adults cultivate the lives they truly want and deserve.

It's my mission to help adults understand their emotions and how they can use their emotions like a compass. Our society has pathologized sadness, anxiety, and anger. Ester Perell once said, "We're on this happiness mandate." Now we have adults who can't deal with discomfort. Using a comprehensive approach in therapy, I help my clients tune into their feelings. In order to accomplish that, I bring in my background and training in neuroscience, brain health, and trauma-informed care. Most importantly, I believe in a collaborative approach to therapy; as my clients share their healing stories, I engage and listen with compassion.

I’ve learned about using the wisdom of the body to reset and heal. Because I chose to specialize in anxiety, I've been stretched in so many ways. Finding the best tools for clients led me to neuroscience, brain health, and trauma-informed care. I have taken training and courses in these areas. I am also working to become certified in each of them.