Joshua Lowe LMFT#105893
[email protected]
(831) 566-1287
6233 Soquel Dr. Suite B
Aptos, CA 95003
Grief & Gratitude Community Ritual
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Community Grief & Gratitude Ritual Retreat
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I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, #105893. I have been a public educator for over 20 years and have worked with a wide variety of the student population including students with disabilities as well students who are challenged academically due to poverty, trauma and lack of English proficiency. Currently I teach Psychology at a local high school in Santa Cruz.
In addition to my private therapy practice I have worked with the not-for-profit organization Center for Humanistic Development, supporting adults, teens and their families in creating healthy communication skills and authentic expression of their emotional needs.
I am also an active member of the not-for-profit organization, ManKind Project that supports men in connecting to their emotions and expressing them in mature and vulnerable ways.
I graduated from John F. Kennedy University with a Masters in Counseling Psychology, Holistic Studies. My thesis was focused on authentic mentorship for adolescent boys, and I trained at Family Services in Santa Cruz working with adolescents and their families. Prior to that, I graduated from UCSC with a Master's degree in Education and a Bachelor's degree in Modern Literature.
In addition to my therapy practice and my teaching I am a devoted father and husband. I am also a musician who writes songs and performs locally with various different musical projects. I love being in and connecting to nature. I also love being in my garden and building things with my hands.
In addition to my private therapy practice I have worked with the not-for-profit organization Center for Humanistic Development, supporting adults, teens and their families in creating healthy communication skills and authentic expression of their emotional needs.
I am also an active member of the not-for-profit organization, ManKind Project that supports men in connecting to their emotions and expressing them in mature and vulnerable ways.
I graduated from John F. Kennedy University with a Masters in Counseling Psychology, Holistic Studies. My thesis was focused on authentic mentorship for adolescent boys, and I trained at Family Services in Santa Cruz working with adolescents and their families. Prior to that, I graduated from UCSC with a Master's degree in Education and a Bachelor's degree in Modern Literature.
In addition to my therapy practice and my teaching I am a devoted father and husband. I am also a musician who writes songs and performs locally with various different musical projects. I love being in and connecting to nature. I also love being in my garden and building things with my hands.
Working with Adults
My commitment to all my clients is to provide empathy, compassion, and curiosity in order to support authentic expression of feelings and needs. The path towards authentic expression is unique to the individual depending on their background, their experience with therapy and their specific therapeutic goals and so I offer various therapeutic interventions to support authentic self expression and healing. I value both the exploration of one's past as well as here and now functioning through mindfulness practice. Using a holistic approach and focusing on the client's strengths and insights, the journey towards wholeness begins. I also provide support using the therapeutic model Internal Family Systems as framework for better understanding internal beliefs and thought patterns.
My passion is helping support those who are feeling disconnected or stuck in old, familiar patterns. Loss, shame, fear that at times keeps us from moving forward authentically in our lives and relationships is often the place that holds the most insight and the place within us that longs for compassion and deep understanding.
My passion is helping support those who are feeling disconnected or stuck in old, familiar patterns. Loss, shame, fear that at times keeps us from moving forward authentically in our lives and relationships is often the place that holds the most insight and the place within us that longs for compassion and deep understanding.
Working with Teens
One of my passions is working with teens and their families. My therapeutic approach is centered on the individual teen and their specific needs. Creating a safe and supportive space for teens to express their struggles, fears, dreams, and passions is my primary goal in treatment. Working with the family in developing healthy communication skills and realistic expectations for their teen is also an important step in the treatment process. Providing a neutral space for teens and their families to communicate their feelings often leads to a better understanding of each others perspectives and a deeper connection.
Having spent the last 15 years working in public education, I've seen first hand the various challenges that many teens face on a daily basis. My education background has also given me a deep sense of empathy and compassion for adolescents which I bring in to my therapeutic practice.
From the pressures of academics, to the struggles of friendship and romantic relationships, to social anxiety and the stigma of mental diagnosis such as ADHD, all are welcome in my therapy room with out judgement. I provide teens the emotional tools to face the challenges in their daily lives, to envision their future selves, and make steps to embody their vision.
Having spent the last 15 years working in public education, I've seen first hand the various challenges that many teens face on a daily basis. My education background has also given me a deep sense of empathy and compassion for adolescents which I bring in to my therapeutic practice.
From the pressures of academics, to the struggles of friendship and romantic relationships, to social anxiety and the stigma of mental diagnosis such as ADHD, all are welcome in my therapy room with out judgement. I provide teens the emotional tools to face the challenges in their daily lives, to envision their future selves, and make steps to embody their vision.
Working with Young Adults
The transition from adolescence to young adulthood brings with it the calling in of vision for one's life. The immense amount of pressure young people face today to have a clear plan for the their future, can create confusion, overwhelm, anxiety and depression. With a lack of healthy mentorship in our communities, many young people are left to figure out the world on their own.
I work with clients to normalize the pressure placed upon them by society and sometimes family, to help them slow down and connect to their deeper purpose and life's vision. Working with internalized beliefs and supporting young adults in telling their stories and developing self-compassion for their experiences, helps young adults to feel seen, understood and empowered.
I work with clients to normalize the pressure placed upon them by society and sometimes family, to help them slow down and connect to their deeper purpose and life's vision. Working with internalized beliefs and supporting young adults in telling their stories and developing self-compassion for their experiences, helps young adults to feel seen, understood and empowered.
Working with Couples
All relationships face challenges. Working with couples, begins with exploring the places where the relationship is challenged. Each person comes into a relationship with their personal experiences, perceptions and beliefs. Therefore, validating each person's perspective and feelings, is at the core of healthy couples work. I support couples to slow down, and develop heart centered sharing and listening skills so that they can move through their challenges with a deeper sense of trust in themselves and the relationship.
Working with Nature
Developing a reciprocal relationship with the natural world is an integral part of sustaining a healthy and balanced life. Slowing down and creating a meaningful and intentional relationship with the natural world is one of the most practical and beneficial forms of therapy I have found. Nature focused therapy includes doing therapy outside, one-on-one nature mentorship, and group programs focused on connecting and attuning to nature as a path towards personal healing and community building.
Working with Grief
In our modern world with so many cultural and environmental challenges, loss and grief are a common part of our shared human experience. Working with grief is unfortunately, a forgotten practice in our society, but has been an integral part of human communities for thousands of years. I work with individuals and groups, to create space for grief to be welcomed, felt and honored. Often grief is a threshold for deeper connection with self and others. This is a healing practice. Click here for more information on Grief Work.