Joseph Lavoie, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and founder of Journey Psychiatric Care in Somerville, MA.
Questions first? Call 617-858-8276. Booking and intake run through our secure, HIPAA-compliant patient portal.
About Joseph
Joseph Lavoie, PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner licensed in Massachusetts. He holds an MSN from Northeastern University, has worked in inpatient psychiatric and emergency nursing, and now provides telehealth psychiatric care at Journey Psychiatric Care. He is a nurse practitioner, not a psychiatrist or physician.
Credentials
| Credential | What it means |
|---|---|
| MSN | Master of Science in Nursing, Northeastern University |
| APRN | Advanced practice registered nurse, licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing |
| PMHNP-BC | Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified. The PMHNP-BC credential is awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) |
Undergraduate study: University of Massachusetts Boston.
Career
Joseph’s background is in psychiatric and medical nursing across many clinical settings. Before he founded Journey Psychiatric Care, his work included:
- Inpatient psychiatric nursing. Direct care for patients with acute and chronic mental health needs at several inpatient hospitals.
- Emergency department nursing. Care for people arriving in medical and psychiatric emergencies.
- Director of Education for one of the nation’s largest behavioral health providers.
- Clinical Instructor in Northeastern University’s undergraduate nursing program.
- Outpatient psychiatric provider in a group practice serving the Greater Boston area.
That mix shows in how he works. Inpatient and emergency work means very little a patient says will surprise him. Teaching means he explains things plainly, including what a medication does, how long it takes and what the other options are.
How Joseph practices
His training stressed treating the whole person and fitting care to each patient. In practice, that looks like a careful psychiatric evaluation before any diagnosis, psychotherapy and medication management when indicated, and the same clinician at every visit.
He says he finds a great sense of privilege and satisfaction in helping people work through personal struggles and reach their best mental, emotional and physical health.
Is Joseph a psychiatrist?
No. Joseph is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP). Like a psychiatrist, a PMHNP can evaluate, diagnose and treat mental health conditions and prescribe medication in Massachusetts. The training path is different: a psychiatrist is a physician (MD or DO), while a PMHNP is an advanced practice nurse with graduate training in psychiatric care. Our guide on PMHNP vs. psychiatrist explains the difference, and this guide covers prescribing rules.
Verify his license and certification
You do not have to take our word for it. Anyone can check a Massachusetts nursing license and a national board certification:
- Massachusetts license lookup (Mass.gov eLicensing): search for “Lavoie” under the Board of Registration in Nursing.
- Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing: the state board that licenses nurse practitioners.
- ANCC: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner certification: what the PMHNP-BC board certification requires.
Clinical review on this site
Joseph reviews the clinical pages on this website, including the conditions and guides sections. Each reviewed page shows his name and the date it was last reviewed. The pages give general information and are not a substitute for an evaluation.
Joseph is in-network with 7 Massachusetts commercial insurers. See insurance or read about the practice and team.
Book a visit with Joseph.
Same clinician every visit. Telehealth anywhere in Massachusetts.
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