Joanna White , LISW

Joanna White began her career after earning a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and spent several years working with the prisoner reentry population, gaining firsthand insight into the systems and challenges faced by people returning to their communities. She later shifted her focus to social work, earning a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California while concurrently supporting women and men experiencing domestic and sexual violence. That combination of experience has given her a unique perspective that includes both offender and survivor viewpoints, which she brings into therapeutic work.

With eight years of clinical experience, Joanna works with people affected by trauma including domestic and sexual violence, childhood trauma, and disordered eating, as well as those coping with stress, anxiety, depression, life transitions, parenting and career concerns, relationship and family issues, grief, and compassion fatigue. She also supports LGBTQ clients and addresses areas such as body image, communication struggles, dissociation, and obsessive or compulsive patterns. Joanna is a LISW, which stands for Licensed Independent Social Worker, a credential that indicates advanced clinical training and independent license to provide social work services. She views change as a journey and approaches therapy as a collaborative process, guiding each person toward goals and strategies that make sense for their life and values.

Integrating Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Joanna draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people clarify their values and build practical strategies for living a meaningful life even when difficult thoughts and feelings arise. ACT can be useful for anxiety, stress, and challenges that involve avoidance or uncertainty. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors, which is often helpful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life transitions. In addition, Joanna employs a client-centered stance that emphasizes empathy, respect, and collaboration so that each person’s goals shape the work together.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Joanna works collaboratively with clients to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. That shared exploration helps tailor sessions to what will be most helpful in the moment and over time.

Online therapy options such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to access support from home or another convenient location. These formats offer flexibility in how and when someone connects with a licensed professional, allowing therapy to continue through life transitions, work demands, or other practical constraints while maintaining a focus on progress and wellbeing.