About the Therapist
Josh Stabbert, MA, LMHC
Hey there!
If you’ve found your way here, chances are high that you’ve spent a large part of your life stuck in struggle, dealing with chronic pain and/or anxiety and being told to just deal with it.
I get it.
And I also know it’s not easy feeling overwhelmed with the anxiety of trying to figure out how to ‘be’ in the world, when the world hasn’t handed you a stellar hand of cards.
I was born with Spina Bifida.
As a child, I realized quickly that I was treated as being ‘different’ by my peers and the adults around me. I struggled with feeling like I really didn’t fit anywhere, and had a difficult time socializing because of the anxiety I felt when it came time to be around other people.
Josh Stabbert, MA, LMHC
Hey there! If you’ve found your way here, chances are high that you’ve spent a large part of your life stuck in struggle, dealing with chronic pain and/or anxiety and being told to just deal with it.
I get it.
And I also know it’s not easy feeling overwhelmed with the anxiety of trying to figure out how to ‘be’ in the world, when the world hasn’t handed you a stellar hand of cards.
I was born with Spina Bifida.
As a child, I realized quickly that I was treated as being ‘different’ by my peers and the adults around me. I struggled with feeling like I really didn’t fit anywhere, and had a difficult time socializing because of the anxiety I felt when it came time to be around other people.
My mom encouraged me to see a therapist when I was a child and it was a great first introduction not only to therapy, but also to what it really felt like to be supported as a person living with chronic pain and a disability.
Growing up people would ask me things like ‘What’s wrong with you?’ which left me feeling less than, like I really didn’t fit completely in any particular place.
It was like living as an ‘other.’
After graduating from high school, I went on to study psychology at the University of Washington. While there, I worked as a research assistant, studying mindfulness and it’s influence on addiction recovery. After graduating, I worked for nearly a decade in clinical research, studying potential environmental causes of Type 1 Diabetes.
My brother died while I was in my last year in that position, and his death brought me back into the world of therapy. I was mourning the loss of my sibling, while dealing with feelings of being unfulfilled in the work I was doing and needed a new direction.
I landed another position working in research, but this time focusing on projects to make technology more accessible for people with vision impairments and mobility challenges. While I enjoyed this work, something was still missing.
I realized that becoming a therapist had been my calling, ever since my first exposure to being in therapy as a child. I went back to school, holding tight to the vision of one day being in private practice.
My goal was to build a therapy practice that could be a support; A safe place for others who also experience medical challenges and chronic pain, as well as supporting others who live with anxiety that prevents them from connecting with other people and building a life they feel fulfilled and empowered by. I knew what it is like to have a strong support system, and I wanted to be a part of that for other people.
Through all my challenges and experiences, I’ve learned powerful lessons.
Feeling like I had to push through the pain, or else I’d be ‘less than,’ turned into self-compassion and self-acceptance.
Feeling disconnected from the world around me and powerless over challenges turned into feeling empowered, in control, and I was able to experience what it means to really be seen as a person.
Feeling angry and scared, like chronic pain and disability limited the life I could live, turned into experiencing a gentler relationship with myself, and led to the most important lesson of all…
Understanding the purpose of being incredibly curious about what a meaningful life could look like while living with chronic pain, disability, and anxiety.
When you lead with curiosity, it’s easy to quickly realize that there is life beyond a diagnosis.
I’m here to support you, and to hold space as you explore, process, and experiment.
It’s possible to live a meaningful life, on your terms.
Let’s get curious about what that can look like, and let’s get to work.