About – Dr. Joseph Choy

I’m grateful that you’ve found your way to my practice. I believe that therapy provides an opportunity to observe and connect with ourselves and heal our suffering in a powerful way. I bring a compassionate attitude to help you identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors that prevent you from experiencing a life of balance and happiness.

License and State: PSY31406 California

My journey into mental health started when I suffered from my own bout of depression as a teenager. It led me to contemplate my own suffering and the depth of suffering and sadness of those around me. It stirred within me not only a desire to relieve my own pain, but a passion to alleviate it from others as well. I began researching mental health on my own and decided to major as an undergrad in psychology at the University of Waterloo in Canada where I was born. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in psychology, I moved to Northern California to pursue graduate studies at the Wright Institute in Berkeley. As an Asian Canadian male and a child of immigrants, I know firsthand the hardships of struggling with mental health illness and its associated stigma.

My early clinical experiences varied from community-based mental health to practicums at Stanford VA hospital. I completed my doctoral and postdoctoral internship at the Mind Therapy Clinic (CAPIC accredited) which is a private practice clinic with an intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization program. I later became the clinical director of the Mind Therapy Clinic intensive outpatient program in San Francisco. I’ve worked with a variety of problems from chronic health issues, anxiety, depression as well as treating severely disordered patients suffering complex mental health diagnosis such as complex trauma, bipolar, borderline and schizophrenia. I use the richness of my own experiences and my clinical work with patients to deepen my empathy and connection with your suffering.

Intimate Elopement ~ Liz and Joe-146

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Intimate Elopement ~ Liz and Joe-73

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I am passionate about helping you create and maintain a balanced lifestyle. I believe that we all have our unique experiences of reality and I aim to help you find what balance means in your life- as it looks different for everyone. I provide a mindfulness informed approach that is culturally sensitive, compassionate, warm and attentive. I specialize in integrating evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) to provide a unique, holistic and individual approach to healing and helping to guide you towards a more conscious and fulfilling life.