JOSEPH VAN DORF

A B O U T  M E:  I am an LPCC Candidate in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas. I view psychotherapy as a collaborative relationship and an invitation into a life-long process of personal growth and self-discovery.

I work with adults from diverse backgrounds facing a variety of challenges. My particular areas of interest include psychodynamic therapy and LGBT therapy. I find that the quality of the connection between the therapist and the person pursuing psychotherapy is one of the strongest factors contributing to growth and change. No matter what your reasons are for pursuing psychotherapy, I use an empathic, relationship-based approach to tailor our therapy process to your unique needs, circumstances, and goals. In my experience, exploring the history and relational contexts in which the issues first emerged with an empathic other can help uncover the unconscious conflicts that keep us stuck and help us gain freedom to make choices that better reflect who we are.

My approach is to listen with you for the deeper underlying story of how your life and patterns of being have developed. By looking together intensively at the historic roots of problems, insights begin to develop into the ways that old solutions get perpetuated in the present and new possibilities for more satisfying ways of being can begin to emerge.

B A C K G R O U N D
I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in English literature from Bethel University. Prior to beginning my career as a psychotherapist, I spent over a decade working in residential and community-based settings with adults experiencing long-term mental health needs and as a systems administrator and data analyst for a mental health non-profit. I came to Core Psychotherapy while in graduate school to complete my master’s practicum experience. In 2022 I received my master’s in counseling psychology from the University of St. Thomas, and afterward I began working here at Core full time. When I am not at work, I enjoy reading, cooking, spending time in nature, and trying to help plants grow.

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine. “Through the shelter of each other, people survive.”