01 · Who Joel works with

Joel works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and trauma and abuse

Joel lists 10 specialisms and 9 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Joel chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Joel's own words

What Joel says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

My passion is to assist others to become aware and learn how to overcome challenges in their lives to see them succeed. Some may not even know where to begin to begin their journey or even know what causes emotions to spike. This may take investigating and uncovering what may not be seen to see the root cause creating negative emotions. The negative emotions can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, fear of the unknown, and negative self-talk statements such as, nobody will listen, no one will understand, or I am alone. You do not have to be in this alone, you can gain control back to your life, and there is hope.

I have been practicing as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in mental health services for 10 years. I have a Master in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling and a Master of Divinity (M.Div) in Chaplaincy. My experience comes from working at Youth Dynamics Inc. assisting young people and families overcome challenging obstacles. I have served in the United States Army as an enlisted soldier, with two deployments to Iraq, and, as my career continued, an officer in the United States Army National Guard and Army Reserve. I retired as an officer in the Chaplain Corps supporting soldiers.

I assist those who have experienced trauma related to domestic violence and narcissistic relationships, veterans who experience PTSD, anxiety, depression, grief, and co-dependency. I do conduct some marriage counseling using the relate strong curriculum and the prepare enrich program. Techniques used in therapy are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution focused therapy (SFT), Christian counseling when requested, and using a narrative to map out and process trauma. The goal of Minds into Focus Counseling is to help others through their life by supporting, navigating, and overcoming obstacles together.

Joel Grinder, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Joel works

The 3 approaches Joel lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Joel lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Joel's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Joel runs a session.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Reads present-day relationship difficulty through the lens of how safety and closeness were learned early on. The therapeutic relationship itself is treated as part of the work, because it is where the pattern tends to show up first.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Joel practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Joel's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Joel at this point.

2. Naming Joel specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Joel is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Joel.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Joel

Built from what Joel actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Joel's - Joel has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCPC

Licensed in

Montana

Licence

MT LCPC BBH-LCPC-LIC-16487

Licence number

BBH-LCPC-LIC-16487

Licence expires

31 Dec 2026

NPI

1588024491

Years in practice

9

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Joel's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Joel. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.