joey photoJoey Werner, LMFT

Hello! I am an NC Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (since 2013) with an extensive background in outdoor recreation. I provide individual and family therapy and I also collaborate with local schools to provide mental health support to students in the school setting. I believe in a collaborative and experiential approach to personal growth and I have found being outside in nature tends to be a wonderful way to developing personal clarity. I am excited about helping individuals and families succeed using both existing and newfound strengths and resources.

I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and in my adolescence I earned the rank of Eagle with the Boy Scouts of America. I graduated from Unity College in Maine, where I studied adventure education. Upon graduation, I guided teenagers and youth-at-risk through outdoor or therapeutic programs in Maine, New Mexico, Utah, and Ohio before pursuing additional education in family therapy. This decision was made based on the idea that individuals create lasting healing through both self-improvement and through mending and growing relationships with significant others, including family and friends.

I attended graduate school at Antioch University New England where I earned a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. I moved to Western North Carolina in 2009 and I continued to guide teenagers through adventure programs based in the mountains surrounding Asheville. I served as an Intensive In-Home therapist with Family Preservation Services in Asheville before transitioning to my role with the Blue Ridge Treks team in 2017.

I enjoy playing ultimate (Frisbee), disc golf, skateboarding, kayaking, hiking, gardening, home improvement projects, reading, and sharing experiences with my daughter, two dogs, and loving family and friends.