Joe Gandarillas is a Montclair, New Jersey–based Certified High Performance Coach, licensed counselor, and former educator with more than 25 years of experience in business and leadership. His path into coaching and therapy grew out of personal experience. At 34, he was diagnosed with a severe spinal condition that left him in chronic pain. Through yoga, meditation, nutrition, and the support of mentors, he discovered healing, and a new purpose.

Before becoming a therapist, Joe spent two decades in corporate management, where he experienced firsthand the weight of modern pressures: relentless expectations, blurred work-life boundaries, and the toll of constant performance. Those years shaped his understanding of the unique challenges professionals face, the quiet anxiety behind ambition, the loneliness that can hide beneath success, and the strain work can place on relationships.

This perspective gives Joe a rare ability to bridge two worlds. He not only understands the language of business but also how it intersects with mental health, resilience, and human connection. For over a decade, Joe has guided individuals, couples, and organizations to overcome challenges, find clarity, and commit to lasting transformation. His approach blends professional expertise with lived experience, offering clients both practical tools and genuine empathy.