Joshua Hulen, M.Ed., Licensed Professional Counselor
Approach to Therapy/Theoretical Orientation
Joshua has an eclectic therapeutic orientation and tends to incorporate the Nurtured Heart Approach, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness Practice, Structural Family Therapy, and Reality Therapy with his clients. His training and experience has cultivated a sensitivity to and knowledge of multicultural and disability issues. He feels it is important to view each individual from their unique cultural experience with a nonjudgmental stance. He uses the biopsychosocial model to inform his practice and understands health and functioning as systemic in nature. Joshua enjoys positive psychology and prefers to focus less on pathology and more on solutions, strengths, and assets.
Training Background & Professional Experience
Joshua graduated from the University of Missouri with a M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology, with an emphasis in Rehabilitation Counseling. His most recent counseling role involves in-home individual and family therapy with foster children and their caregivers. Aside from traditional "talk" therapy, he provides play therapy for younger children, independent living skills for older adolescents, parenting skills training, and more recently neurofeedback when appropriate. He helps at-risk families stay together and when necessary, assists children in adjusting to new family settings. Joshua works with children in temporary foster care, in the process of being adopted, during family visitations, and during the reunification process.
Joshua has experience working with individuals who have been diagnosed with co-occurring disorders (serious, persistent mental illness and substance abuse diagnoses). Past professional experiences include working with individuals with disabilities with community integration and residential care, crisis intervention, vocational rehabilitation, career counseling, and job development. Joshua also has facilitated process groups, psycho-educational groups, social skills training groups, research groups, and employment workshops.
Common issues Joshua works with include:
depression, bipolar disorder, stress & anxiety, abuse & trauma, low self esteem, anger and impulse control, and addictions to substances and unhealthy lifestyles.
He assists clients with improving communication styles, making healthy decisions, and identifying, regulating, and asserting their feelings.