Therapy that works with the whole person: mind, body, and history.
Meet Joss
I'm Joss Martinez, a registered counsellor based in Vancouver. I hold a master's degree in counselling psychology and have trained to the second level in Internal Family Systems.
I was born in Mexico and have spent much of my life moving between cultures and languages. That experience shapes how I work. I understand what it means to build a sense of self across different worlds, and I bring that understanding into the room.
I didn't come into counselling through a single moment. It built over time. I found myself drawn to people's stories, especially the parts that weren't easy to explain. My own experiences pushed me to look more closely at emotional patterns, relationships, and how certain things stay with us longer than we expect.
IFS is at the centre of how I work. It slows down the pressure to change quickly or fix something, and helps people understand where their reactions come from and what purpose they've been serving, often for a long time.
What has stayed consistent is noticing that even when people feel stuck, there's still movement. That's what I hold onto in this work.
My work is depth-oriented, which means we're not just addressing what's on the surface, but looking at the patterns, histories, and internal dynamics that shape how you experience yourself and the world around you.
I draw primarily on Internal Family Systems, psychodynamic therapy, and Family Constellations. These approaches share a common thread: the belief that lasting change comes from understanding, not just managing. I also bring somatic awareness into the work, paying attention to what the body holds and how it responds, because healing rarely happens only in the mind.
I work in English and Spanish, and I bring my own experience of navigating two cultures into how I show up with clients. That context shapes how I understand identity, belonging, and the particular kind of complexity that comes with living between worlds.
Approach
Areas of Expertise
Internal Family Systems
An approach that understands the mind as made up of different parts, each with its own role and history. Rather than fighting these parts, we get curious about them.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Explores how early relationships and unconscious patterns shape the way we experience ourselves and others today. Bringing these into awareness is where lasting change begins.
Family Constellations
A transgenerational approach that looks at how family dynamics and inherited emotional patterns continue to influence our lives, often outside of our awareness.
Somatic Therapy
Pays attention to how the body holds experience, not just what the mind thinks, but what the body already knows. Sensation, breath, and nervous system awareness are all part of the work.
Trauma-Informed Care
Every aspect of the work is grounded in how trauma affects the nervous system, relationships, and sense of self. The pace, language, and therapeutic relationship are shaped with that in mind.
Narrative Therapy
Explores the stories we carry about ourselves: where they came from, how they shape our choices, and whether they still serve us.