Jo Martin

Philosophy and Therapeutic Approach

When tough times hit, reaching out for help can be incredibly difficult. It is easy to feel like the only one going through troubled times; that no one can relate. Pain can have an isolating effect, feeling alone and abandoned by everyone, including God. I understand, I can relate. That was me. You are not alone.

Maybe like you, I had a friend encourage me to reach out to her counselor. Done with putting on a brave face, smiling, fighting, or faking it through my issues, I scheduled an appointment. It took a few sessions, but I could feel the iceberg of loneliness and hopelessness begin to melt away. My counselor helped me to realize my strengths, listened, and created a safe space for me to explore my feelings without feeling judged. I was able to gain clarity, resolve my past, find my way back to myself, and heal.  That experience propelled me into this field of counseling. It’s a way for me to pay it forward.

Together we will unwrap your story, identify your strengths, and begin to lean into them as the ballast for the waters ahead. Whether it’s working through a current struggle or diving into past hurts–healing, growth, and change are possible.

What to Expect in Therapy

People seek counseling for all kinds of reasons, including grief or relief, direction or decision, healing and restoration, or perhaps just clarity. Your reason, whatever it may be, is the most important thing for us to focus on together. My goal will be to create a trusting and safe environment, to explore and journey together as you achieve your therapeutic goals. It might be through narrative, CBT, brainspotting, or another theoretical orientation, but it will be tailored to you, to what helps you the most.

Personal Qualifications and Experience

My professional experience ranges from the vice president for a Fortune 1000 financial services company, to co-authoring a book on generation X, to university Dean, and my favorite roles as wife and mom. With decades of navigating the ups and downs of career and family, including three children and a marriage of over thirty years, I ground my therapeutic work in a lifetime of experience which I hope brings a depth of empathy, understanding, warmth, and even a bit of humor to my relationships with clients. I hold an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, have passed the NCE, and am working toward my NBCC.

Personal Interests

I have a passion for mentoring and discipling young adults (twenty-somethings), a passion ignited through research and co-authoring a book in the late 90’s on generation X. This is an incredibly influential time in a person’s life, rich with the potential to create a strong identity, solidify self-esteem, establish a career, engage in meaningful relationships, marriage, starting a family, and so forth. It can also be a time fraught with issues, stress, and challenges. I also have a passion for working with women, exploring their identity in Jesus Christ, freeing them from shame and doubt, so they can live life to the fullest.