Josephine Pastena, Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern

Josephine Pastena, MA, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern, NCC

I am a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI - IMH23959). My passion for helping others led to a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Kean University, graduating in 2022 with honors, and induction into Chi Sigma Iota (National Honors Society for Counselors). Registered Mental Health Counselors Interns in the state of Florida complete their Master's degree and then engage in two years of post-master's clinical experience under the supervision of a Qualified Supervisor. I am a board-certified counselor by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) and a member of the American Counseling Association. Since receiving my Master’s degree in New Jersey, I have moved to Florida.

As a counselor-in-training, I want my clients to know someone cares about their struggles. My intent is to empower my clients to achieve their goals as they realize that the only thing a person can change in any given situation is themself. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it concisely, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” We are all a work-in-progress, constantly deciding the person we want to be. We will work together using a collaborative, person-centered approach in exploring existing and new skills towards positive change.

I work from an integrative perspective utilizing motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness and spiritual-based practices, and existential therapy to guided clients in individual and group therapy. I am experienced with grief and loss, anxiety, depression, communication skills, conflict resolution, career and life transitions, and addiction.

I work with my clients to establish goals that will help them realize their potential, strengths, and resources to overcome life’s challenges and to creating balance. I journey with my clients to help them discover the best version of themselves.

“Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain.”