Josh odam, BA
Clinical Intern
Insurance plans accepted: $25 per session, Out-of-Pocket/Self-Paid, (insurance not accepted)
Location: Hadley, Hybrid
"It is necessary, while in darkness, to know there is a light somewhere. To know that in oneself, waiting to be found, there is a light." -James Baldwin
Josh Odam (he, him) is the Founder & Curator of Healing While Black LLC, an online platform dedicated to the mental health and wellness of Black queer, transgender, and gender non-conforming people.
He understands mental (un)wellness is inextricably linked to antiblackness, queerantagonism, and other forms of oppression. Josh believes his role is to introduce possibility to clients and journey alongside them during the therapeutic process. His approach is multi-disciplinary and incorporates Person-Centered (Rogerian) Therapy and Strengths-Based Therapy within the context of Ignacio Martin-Baro's concept of Liberation Psychology.
Josh's areas of interest include critical engagement with masculinity, QTGNC teens and adults processing their sexuality and/or gender identity, economic exploitation as a social determinant of health, anxiety and depression found among high achievers, ethnostress within BIPOC studying/working in Historically/Predominately White Institutions (HPWIs), and communal care for activists and organizers.
He earned his Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is pursuing his Master's in Social Work from Springfield College and a Master's in Labor Studies from UMass.
A DEI professional with over a decade of experience, he most recently served as Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Defender Association of Philadelphia. During his tenure, he trained new attorneys and social workers on gender equity, microaggressions, and systemic racism. He is a Google & Squarespace Black Creator Fellow and operates a Black, queer centric bookstore in West Philadelphia. His work has been featured in the Human Rights Campaign, Essence, GLAAD, My Brother’s Keeper, Refinery29, the Los Angeles Times, Black Mental Wellness, the Vera Institute for Justice, and StoryCorps.
He is from Brooklyn, New York.
Are you a good fit to see a clinical intern?
Interns will be seeing clients for short-term work (approximately nine months, Sept-May). This is ideal for prospective clients to work on shorter term goals and for those who do not have complex or long-standing and/or severe mental health needs. This timeframe also aligns with the traditional academic schedule, which would allow for in-person work with students from the various local colleges.
Why see an intern?
All great psychotherapists began practicing and honing their skills during their graduate internships. APP’s clinical interns will come to the team with one year of clinical experience (some with more from previous undergraduate work and experience), and call APP home to continue their learning journey. This can enrich a therapeutic experience for both clients and the clinical intern.
Choosing to see a clinical intern also allows you to access mental health services faster if you’ve been on a waiting list.
Can an APP clinical intern take my insurance?
Insurance regulations prohibit clinical interns to bill private or commercial insurances.
The good news is: APP is offering clinical intern sessions at just $25 per session