Joe Cataldo, LMHC

What you should know about working with me as a therapist?

I use a blend of cognitive behavior techniques and existential and humanistic approaches. In each session, my goal is to help my clients examine and assess whether they are living in alignment with their beliefs and values. Together, we will identify any obstacles that may be hindering self-expression, and develop the tools needed to overcome them. My hope is that by the end of therapy, my clients will feel empowered and confident in moving forward in life, able to think, speak, and act in a way that is truer to their authentic self.

What was my path to becoming a therapist?

My journey to becoming a therapist has been a wonderful experience of personal growth and self-discovery. I've always had a fascination with psychology and counseling, but I also had a business-minded side that led me to study finance in college. I spent a decade working in the corporate world, but eventually realized that I wanted to make a more direct impact in people's lives. So, in 2018 I took the leap and enrolled in a master's program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Fast forward to 2020, and I've been practicing as a therapist ever since. I believe my background in business gives me a unique perspective to provide practical, solution-focused therapy to my clients.

How do I keep learning and building competencies as a provider?

I am constantly learning and improving as a therapist. I hold the philosophy that growth and progress in therapy happens through collaboration. During therapy sessions, I listen attentively as clients share their stories and perspectives, learning from them and continuously refining my approach as a counselor. My ultimate aim is for both my clients and myself to walk away from each session having gained knowledge and being better equipped to face life's challenges.

 What was your path to becoming a therapist?

I did not know I would become a counselor. I thought I would be a journalist and went to college to study the same; however, when I got there, I discovered I was a terrible journalist. I hated chasing people for their stories, though I was always deeply moved when people freely shared them. I trained as a writer and an educator and thought I would be a teacher for a time. It was through trying different jobs and learning I had a knack for creating spaces in which people felt okay to share of themselves that I came to therapy. I view counseling as an opportunity to tell your own story, to acknowledge the skills you already possess, to uncover creativity and humor in addressing the problems you seek to address. 

What values do you bring into a therapy session?

I believe the work of therapy lies in the choices you make outside of the counseling session, in deciding growth is necessary and taking action to make the change happen. I approach counseling with the belief that though life is often hard and hands us all things we do not want, do not like, and perhaps would not have chosen for ourselves, we still have choices. I believe time spent considering the type of human you want to be and then making choices that line up with those values is our best bet in having a meaningful and compelling life. My job as a counselor is to hold hope that change for the better is possible, and I value holding that hope for clients until they are able to pick it up for themselves. 

 What was your path to becoming a therapist?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work with people

in a therapeutic capacity.  My earliest inpatient and acute residential experiences reinforced my desire to pursue my Master’s in Counseling Psychology. Being on this path continues to be a privilege, and an honor.

What can you offer to your clients as their therapist?

My basic approach is to assist clients with their challenges and issues-in-living and help them help themselves. I believe that

feeling understood in a safe, supportive environment is a therapeutic building block for better self-awareness.  I also believe our most painful symptoms can be seen as attempts to survive and adapt in the world. Therapy aims at

revealing the inherent strengths under the symptoms which will help the person help themselves. 

 What was your path to becoming a therapist?

I have always known I would be working with people. Originally, I graduated with a BA in teaching and English Philology and pursued my dream to be an ESL teacher, however, like many immigrants, I had to switch my path and seek different professional pursuits. I worked at a daycare center with very young kids, as a CNA with the elderly at a long term living facility. Upon receiving my first MA degree in Educational Psychology from a German University I got a job as a social worker with children and their families. That was the time when I realized that the most effective way to help improve someone's situation is to help them make changes for themselves and I went back to school to study social work. Until landing at the Dracut Counseling Professionals I worked as a therapist and a supervisor at a community based mental health center for 13 years providing therapy to kids, individuals and families.

What should someone know about working with you?

I offer a warm and empathetic approach and try my best to stay focused on the client´s goals. Establishing a connection and identifying resources for clients is how safety in therapeutic relationship is created and so this is where I try my best to start. As a therapist I see my job in providing you with a safe space, catalyzing your connection to your strengths and inner resources, facilitating insight and learning.

How do your own core values shape your approach to care?

I believe that people of all ages have the natural gift of curiosity  and  are capable of learning; people have choices and there is always something within us that gives us strength to move forward in life. One of the goals of therapy is to help a person connect with their inner strength to find resolution for their struggles. 

What was your path to becoming a therapist?

When I was a teenager, I wanted to be a writer - I loved creating and being able to guide my characters through stressful situations (granted, I was the one who created the situations, but still - I could get them out of them, too). My first day of college, I declared myself a Journalism major - then I took my first class in the field and realized very quickly that I did not want to be the person asking people going through a rough situation invasive questions and then never seeing them again - instead, I wanted to be the person walking alongside those people - guiding them towards ways to process and cope with stressors and changes. I quickly changed my major to Psychology and never looked back.

All that happened a long (long, long, long) time ago, and I have spent the last few decades working with people of all ages as they learn to manage the wonderful and difficult things that life throws at them.

What values do I bring into a therapy session/what do I offer my clients as their therapist? 
I infuse therapy sessions with humor, hope, compassion, collaboration and creativity. 

What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?

I am always researching and reading - I love to learn new approaches and skills to introduce to my clients. This year, I will be attending a five day conference on cutting edge expressive therapy strategies. Expressive therapy is a form of treatment that uses creative activities (like music and art) to help clients share and process feelings and memories that may be hard to put into words. I am excited to introduce what I learn to my clients and incorporate these interventions into our therapy sessions! 

What was your path to becoming a therapist?

I started college wanting to be an architect.  However, in my  freshman year of  college  I took my first psychology class and fell in love with learning about people and how we understand the world around us.  After college,  I started working in Boston Public Schools with refugees from Cambodia and Vietnam.  Following that I worked a few years doing more school based work in NH, Tyngsboro  and Lowell Public Schools.   I was then given the opportunity to  work on the crisis team in Lowell for 14 years, being the director for the last 5 years.  I left administrative work to return to the clinical arena and opened Dracut Counseling Professionals in 2014.  

What should someone know about working with you?

I approach all my clients with compassion and dignity.  I infuse humor  to illustrate an idea.  I can be direct and challenge your assumptions to encourage you to realize your best self.  I use Cognitive Behavioral Techniques to work with you on seeing the patterns of behaviors in your life and how to best evoke change. 

 How do you approach overcoming obstacles?

I believe that we all have our own inner wisdom and strength – but we lose sight of it through various experiences in life.  Messages we receive, experiences (good, bad, and indifferent) shape who we are.  My hope for my clients is to allow them to tap back into their own wisdom and find direction through that.  Each individual holds their own answers – I just get the privilege of sitting with you and guiding you to it.

What should someone know about working with you?

I work from a very relational approach.  My hope is to create an environment of trust and emotional security so my clients feel heard.  The relationship between a therapist and client is sacred – and it’s a beautiful opportunity to look at how we function and challenge ourselves.  I encourage my clients to communicate any and all discomforts within session so we can work through it together – these moments translate to how clients then function in the outside world.

  What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?

As someone who values the importance of continued growth both personally and professionally, I make it a priority to participate in various continuing education trainings throughout the year. I seek out topics that are of interest to me and relevant to many of the people I work with. My most recent training is a course for becoming certified in counseling individuals struggling with grief. 

How do you approach overcoming obstacles?

When seeing an obstacle I tend to look towards the strengths of the client. By identifying the skills and traits that clients bring into the session, we can use these strengths to work towards actionable steps to overcome obstacles getting in the way of clients' valued goals.