You want a balanced life at your full potential.
I would be honored to support you on that journey.
For people who need more from life than just surviving…
I help guide people from every walk of life to prevent burnout in the workplace, at home, and wherever life applies pressure. It's optional, but I recommend we also use Heart Rate Variability training. By pairing talk therapy with your unique HRV and sleep insights, we will be able to decode what your nervous system has been trying to tell you.
Unlock health, resilience, and happiness.
Areas of focus
Click any topic to learn more.
The Five Mental Health Vitals Are...
Most therapy only has our subjective observations to go on. HRV-Therapy decodes your body's nervous system.
Your heart doesn't beat like a perfect metronome. Instead, it speeds up and slows down like a conversation via Morse code. This is based on how safe or stressed your nervous system feels. That pattern is called Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and it is the clearest window we have into how your mind and body are really doing.
If you already wear a device that tracks HRV, sleep, and activity, we'll put that knowledge to work alongside our psychotherapy sessions. While this is optional, HRV-Informed Psychotherapy is what sets this practice apart from most others.
Every client receives full care with or without a wearable. Most clients are already tracking this on their smart devices but unsure how to integrate it into the mental health context. If this is something you would be interested in, Vital Talk Therapy is a perfect fit for you.
After studying Humanities and Psychology at Villanova University and earning a Master's in Clinical Social Work from Rutgers, I began my career at Chilton Medical Center during the pandemic — working across Labor and Delivery, Sub-acute Care, and the Pediatric Clinic in an interdisciplinary setting.
From there, I moved to Morristown Medical Center's Intensive Outpatient Program, leading group therapy for patients recently discharged and still managing symptoms of dual diagnosis.
In 2022, I transitioned to one-on-one long-term outpatient care, which quickly became my passion. Today I maintain a private practice specializing in HRV-Informed Therapy. HRV allows us to tune into the mind-body connection and the language of the nervous system. This allows us to do what is needed to be happy and healthy humans in the modern landscape. My approach applies the philosophy of Eastern and Western medicine while incorporating the best technology capable of improving our lives in a way that is never intrusive or distracting.
Five clinical lenses
Mental health needs more than normalization. It needs to evolve.
For people who need more from life than just surviving…
140 years of standing still is long enough
For the last 140 years, mental health care has stayed pretty much the same. Talk therapy alone has limits — and the people who need care the most deserve a model that's actually kept up with what we now know about the body and the mind.
Make progress concrete
My approach uses "Mental Health Vitals." I teach you to read your own body's signals and build that knowledge into your daily routine.
Frequently asked questions
"Joe is collaborative, honest, and straightforward."
"I appreciate how he likes to use analogies and humor at times. It helps the new concepts stick."
"Such a great listener! Really knows his stuff and offered an endless range of more than solid advice. As someone who doesn't open up much for me to talk as much as I did on the first session speaks volumes! I highly recommend him to anyone seeking therapy."
ZocDoc.com, early 2026
Yes — for standard talk therapy I'm in-network with several plans. HRV-informed therapy is private pay or out-of-network only. Here's how the two compare:
Standard talk therapy
Individual psychotherapy
Select insurance plans accepted: Click herePrivate-pay rate. In-network members pay their plan copay.
HRV-informed therapy
Psychotherapy built around in-session HRV training
Private pay or out-of-network onlySuperbill provided for out-of-network reimbursement.
Insurance-based sessions are available in New Jersey. Clients are seen from age 20 and up, in person or via telehealth.
No, you do not have to use any wearable or data device for us to work together. Some people prefer faster, data-driven results, while others prefer to keep things simple — either way, it is your choice.
The first session is straightforward. We build rapport, you share what brought you in, and together we establish an initial set of goals for treatment. There is no pressure to go deeper than you are ready for.
Yes, what is shared in therapy is entirely confidential with few exceptions. I cover this in detail during our consult call if you are new to therapy.
I currently work with insurance in New Jersey only for individual therapy, both in person and via telehealth. I also offer hybrid models when necessary.
Each story is different, but my goal is for you to feel empowered to self-rescue and build resilience over time.
Session frequency tapers once we've gotten a handle on things. Progress depends on your comfort and a self-determined pace for achieving the goals you set for yourself with my help.
Some clients need just 10-12 weeks of weekly sessions, then bi-weekly through the rest of the year before things feel ready to pause or move on from therapy. Other clients require regular long-term support. I am experienced in both. You ultimately determine what you need since this is your therapy and your space.
Getting started is easy. Click the Book Now button to call or schedule a free consultation call.
Why HRV-informed therapy
You already understand the pattern.
Your body didn't get the memo.
Most people experiencing stress or anxiety already understand the process. They can name the trigger. They know the story. But their chest still tightens in that triggered state.
That gap isn't a failure of insight. It's physiology. Chronic stress teaches your nervous system to stay on high alert because it falsely assumes you are under attack. This is an old program from a primitive time.
HRV training is the Control+Alt+Delete for your nervous system. It allows you to override that program running in the background and take control of your nervous system.
We find your baseline
After two weeks with your HRV device, we'll sit down and review what your body has been telling us — patterns specific to you and your life.
We retrain the reflex
Now that your nervous system is decoded, we can see exactly how your body responds to stress, whether that's a hard day at work or a bad night's sleep. From there, we retrain that response. Instead of jolting straight into fight-or-flight, you get the chance to reset and rise to the occasion.
You watch it change
Your body and mind become more resilient as time goes on, and we track that using heart rate variability.
Talk therapy is still the center of the work. This gives it a floor to stand on.
Measurable progress
What faster, concrete results can look like
Two standard, validated measures — tracked alongside your HRV data over 8 weeks.
GAD-7 · Anxiety
PHQ-9 · Depression
Illustrative example based on typical patterns seen in HRV-informed treatment, not an individual client's data. Timelines and outcomes vary by person.
Heart rate variability biofeedback has been studied across anxiety, PTSD, insomnia, chronic pain, and athletic and executive performance, with large meta-analytic effects on self-reported stress and anxiety.