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Joanna Lester, psychotherapist and founder of First Circle Therapy, offering online therapy in Colorado

Joanna A Lester

MA, LPC, NCC

Psychotherapist | Founder First Circle Therapy
she/they/we

I’m Joanna—a therapist, writer, and lifelong seeker with a deep belief in the power of healing through connection. I help individuals rediscover their aliveness, soften the fear that keeps them from fully inhabiting themselves, and build lives shaped by integrity, creativity, and belonging.​

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Before becoming a therapist, I spent years immersed in linguistics and psychology research, fascinated by how the words we use shape our inner and outer worlds. That foundation continues to guide my work today: I see language as a doorway into healing, and communication as one of our most powerful tools for transformation.

But my approach is not just scientific—it’s soulful. Informed by mindfulness, mysticism, and my own lived experience of healing, I offer a space where intellect and intuition meet. I believe in weaving evidence-based practices with the deeper wisdom that meaningful change often requires.

I care about this work because I've walked through my own seasons of pain—the kind that reshapes who you are, defies easy naming, and makes you question if life could ever feel different. I know what it feels like to feel far from myself—and what it means to find the way back. I’ve also known the profound relief of being seen, supported, and reminded of my own inner strength. That’s what I strive to offer others.

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My practice especially resonates with thoughtful, sensitive people who are learning to trust themselves and live in alignment with who they’re becoming. I support clients through the winding process of shedding what no longer fits—old roles, inherited beliefs, the echo of self-doubt—and stepping into a life shaped from within. I often think of this work as tending an overgrown path: not forging something new, but revealing what’s been there all along, quietly waiting beneath the surface. Together, we explore the alchemy of pain into purpose, the emergence of voice, and the grounded power of coming home to your own way.

 

Outside of sessions, you’ll likely find me journaling, making art, reading obscure psychology texts, or sitting under big skies letting the wind rearrange my thoughts. My own healing continues to be shaped by practices of wonder, embodiment, and learning to trust my rhythms.

 

Whether you’re here to untangle long-standing internal conflicts or to step more fully into your truth, I’m here to walk with you. Whatever heaviness you’re holding, there is lightness on the other side. Let’s begin your journey toward it—together.

My Credentials

  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

  • National Certified Counselor (NCC)

  • MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Naropa University (Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling concentration)

  • Special training in: Gestalt Therapy, Parts Work, Advanced Trans/Gender-Affirming Mental Health (WPATH)

  • Lived and studied in Paris, France (Gender & Sexuality in Language & Philosophy)

  • Research experience in early childhood language development, attachment theory, and trauma

  • Personal and professional background in navigating neurodivergence, spiritual emergence, chronic illness, gender fluidity, and creative identity

© 2025 by FIRST CIRCLE THERAPY LLC | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |

Branding, Website Design, Copywriting, and Digital Artwork by Joanna Augusta Lester

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