Rate Jonathan "Jay" Dismukes

I work in mental health because I am drawn to the emotional experiences of others and because I believe in the innate capacity of people to claim agency over their own lives and to prosper. Getting to be a part of this personal growth process is the highlight of my work. Of course, finding wellbeing usually takes time and requires trial and error. So, the question becomes, what gets in the way of contentment and how do we achieve it?

In a decade of working as a therapist, I’ve learned that the main barrier —more often than not— is discomfort, sometimes even despair, with one or more aspects of our self. Although there may be 99 other things that we like about ourselves, that other people even say they admire about us, unfortunately, it’s that small fraction that sometimes holds all the power, that essentially dictates how we experience our lives and the choices we make.

The inability to tolerate some piece of ourselves stands at the root of depression, substance abuse, anxiety, trauma, relationship problems and countless other conditions. To effectively heal from these issues we have to first experience acceptance of internal parts that we have long kept hidden from ourselves and others. This is where therapy plays such a vital role. It serves as the vehicle for our untold stories to emerge and be explored with compassion, revived understanding, and faith in our individual strengths and ability to make good decisions.

If these ideas resonate with you and you feel ready to share your untold story, we may be a good fit for working together.

As for my background, I am a clinical social worker licensed in North Carolina and New York. Much of my work has been providing individual and group therapy for people battling mood, trauma, addictive behaviors, loss and internalized stigma. I decided to go into private practice and it has allowed me to have more intimate contact with and an increased understanding of my clients.

In terms of my orientation and style, I consider myself an existential-humanistic therapist and feel strongly that accessing the true self is essential to healing. Self-actualizing and finding meaning are major components of my work. This said, I find that attending to unhelpful thought processes that have become cemented and helping to develop new skill sets and tools are especially valuable to functioning and quality of life, so I regularly incorporate these techniques into my practice. I believe that a foundation of emotional stability is integral to personal mending and to the development of new insight.



I went to a small liberal arts college in Sewanee, Tennessee, and after trying my hand in journalism for several years, I realized that my talents and heart lay elsewhere. That’s when I changed careers and did my graduate social work studies at Columbia University. I now live in Asheville, NC, relocating there after many years in New York City. When I’m not working, I try to be a good husband and dad to my wife and children—always room for improvement there—go trail running and play a bad, but fun guitar.