JoAnne Waite , LMFT

JoAnne Waite is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 25 years of experience helping people manage stress and anxiety. She supports individuals facing trauma, grief, addictions, eating concerns, and depression. JoAnne also works with clients on relationship and intimacy-related issues and with those navigating LGBT matters.

Her approach is straightforward and respectful. JoAnne listens first, then crafts a plan that fits each person's life and goals. Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings as well as clearer thinking in the session itself.

JoAnne draws on evidence-based therapeutic techniques to address attachment difficulties, dissociation, and obsessions or compulsions. She helps people sort through family of origin problems, blended family concerns, divorce and separation issues, and communication breakdowns.

She also supports parents and people coping with postpartum depression, body image struggles, and eating or food-related issues. JoAnne adapts interventions to account for intellectual disability and autism spectrum needs when relevant to the client’s goals.

Based in Rhode Island, JoAnne emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion in her work. She aims to empower clients to make steady progress toward a more fulfilling life.

Evidence-based approaches and online care

JoAnne uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on what helps most in day-to-day life. One common approach she uses involves working on attachment patterns and relationships to help reduce anxiety and improve connection. This looks like identifying repeated interaction patterns and practicing new ways of relating in session and between sessions.

Another frequent focus is trauma-informed work that helps people manage overwhelming memories and reactions. That work usually involves grounding strategies, paced processing of difficult events, and building coping skills to handle stressors more effectively.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. JoAnne will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, and then adjust methods as needed over time.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy schedules or limited transportation. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation similar to an in-person visit, phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be easier during commutes, and live chat or text-based messaging provide quick check-ins or shorter touchpoints between sessions. These options make it easier to maintain steady progress while fitting therapy into everyday life.