Mission Valley, Telehealth
Joe Salvati
Pronouns: he/him/his
Availability
Monday - Friday Day & Evenings
License: LCSW, Supervisor
License No: LCSW #108770
Supervisor
Rate
$190 per 50-minute session
Experience & Specialties
Experience
- 10 years with military individuals and couples with the Marine Corps
- Domestic violence and child abuse prevention
- Grief and loss counselor
- Extensive experience with teens and adolescents
- Worked at higher levels of care such as IOP and PHP
- Worked at adult psychiatric hospital
Specialties
- Military & First Responder Counseling
- Anger Management
- Grief and Loss
- Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)
- Communication Tools
- Conflict Management and Conflict Resolution
- Teens & Adolescents
Trainings
- EMDR trained (05/2024)
- EFT Triage Conference – Helping relationships repair from betrayals, trauma, ruptures, and high-conflict. (7/2026)
- “Positive Parenting Program” certified trainer (4/2019)
- “Within My Reach” – healthy relationships certified trainer (3/2018)
- “Century Anger Management” certified trainer (6/2017)
- Columbia Suicide Screening & Assessment training (5/2017)
- ATD Certified Master Trainer (7/2015)
- Trained in grief and loss counseling with The Elizabeth Hospice (2019)
Education
- Bachelor’s of Arts at San Diego State University
- Master’s Degree in Social Work at Indiana University
Biography
Hello and thank you for reading a little about me, Joe Salvati. I began working with individuals and couples in 2010 with skill-building and workshops. My areas of expertise include grief and loss, domestic violence and child abuse, severe mental health diagnoses, anger management, communication skills, conflict management, 12 years of experience supporting military service members and their families through the unique stress of military life, and joining with clients as they process some of the most difficult thoughts and feelings they’ve experienced.
I graduated from San Diego State University with my Bachelors of Art and Indiana University with my Master’s in Social Work. I worked as a civilian for the U.S. Marine Corps for 12 years before working at an inpatient psychiatric hospital as a social worker and then becoming a therapist for teens in an intense-outpatient program (IOP). That combination of military culture, crisis-level mental health care, and working with teens at their most vulnerable, shapes how directly and practically I approach therapy today.
I have over 13 years of experience working with individuals and couples, and I am EMDR-trained by Dr. Christie Sprowls, an EMDR International Association certified trainer, and a leader in the field. EMDR has become one of the most effective tools I use to help clients process trauma, including trauma from childhood, without having to relive it in detail every session. I’m driven to help people find the answers and solutions that will give long-term change.
I’m a native San Diegan, married and have three small children. As a veteran-connected community member myself through my years with the Marine Corps, I understand the specific pressures of military, family, and everyday life, that bring people into my office. I look forward to helping you grow and learn!
My Counseling Approach
I don’t believe in therapy that just talks around a problem. If you’re here because anger has started to feel like it’s driving instead of you, because you’re carrying something from your past you’ve never dealt with, or because you and your partner keep having the same fight on different days, I want to get to the root of the issue, not just put a bandaid on it.
A few things that shape how I work:
I’ll be direct with you. I spent 12 years working with Marines, and if there’s one thing that culture taught me, it’s that people don’t need to be handled carefully. They need someone who will tell them the truth and give them real tools, not just nod along.
Trauma work doesn’t mean reliving your worst moments. As an EMDR-trained therapist, I help clients process trauma, including the kind that gets carried quietly for years, that maybe a partner has pointed out even when you hadn’t, without having to relive it in detail every time we talk about it.
If you’re active duty or a veteran, confidentiality is something I take seriously, and I’ll be upfront with you about what that actually means for your career and your record. Your job won’t be informed.
With teens, I don’t try to be their friend. I try to be someone who actually gets it when they feel like the outsider, the misunderstood one, the kid who doesn’t fit the mold.
Whatever brought you in, my job isn’t to hand you a script. It’s to help you find the tools that will work longterm.
FAQ with Joe Salvati, LCSW
Got a question about Joe Salvati and how he works as a therapist? This section will answer all the questions.
An LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. The licensure is different that MFTs or LCPPs because in a Master of Social Work (MSW) and training, it emphasizes on the "person-in-environment" framework. It address external factors like socioeconomic status, housing, community resources, and systemic barriers alongside psychotherapy. MFTs and LPCCs come from a training on relational lens or clinical mental health lens. That being said, I have a lot of relational ad clinical training which helps my work with my clients.
I specialize in working with the military and first responders due to my 10+ years working with the military. I often use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for trauma treatment with some of my individuals. I also focus my work on anger management, grief and loss, communication tools, and conflict management and resolution.
I began working with clients in 2010 providing skill-building and workshops. I have 12 years working as a civilian within the U.S. Marine Corps, ad then worked as a social worker at an inpatient adult psychiatric hospital. I later provided therapy for teens in an intensive outpatient program (IOP) ad in partial hospitalization (PHP) settings. All of these experiences influence my therapy I provide to my current clients at Estes Therapy.
Yes. I spent 12 years working with Marines, service members, and their families, so I understand the unique stress of military life. Since we don't take insurance, it allows me to work fully with the military without having to speak to your commanding officer. We have an additional level of protection to keep your records protected, unlike therapists on base. I also work with first responders.
I am a solution-focused clinician. I don't want to waste your time and just listen. I love to dive in to the real issue, tell you the truth, give you real tools, and work with you to find solutions. My goal for therapy is to create long-term change instead of a bandaid.
My fee is $190 for 50-minute sessions. Some people meet with me once a week and others meet with me every other week or once a month. I also offer longer sessions, such as 80-min ($242.20 a session) or 2 hour intensives ($380 a session). Every client(s) is different, which means session frequency and length is different. Speak to me and we can find the best fit cost for your situation. I also have low fee slots available. Just call the main office and ask about it.
I am a therapist that has tattoos; a sleeve of tattoos to be exact. I am a therapist that might swear from time to time or have more causal talk. I am not the kind of therapist that sits in the awkward silence, speaks psycho-babble, or makes you feel uncomfortable.
