Polestar Therapy

06/22/2026

Welcome Josh Odem, MS, MSW, LMSW (he, him)!

Josh is a social worker, psychotherapist, and the Founder & Curator of Healing While Black Books, a Black, q***r centric bookstore/reading room in West Philadelphia.

He understands mental (un)wellness is inextricably linked to antiblackness, q***rantagonism, and other forms of oppression. Josh believes his role is to introduce possibility to clients and journey alongside them during the therapeutic process. His approach is multi-disciplinary and incorporates Person-Centered (Rogerian) Therapy and Strengths-Based Therapy within the context of Ignacio Martin-Baro’s concept of Liberation Psychology.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Master of Science in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also earned his Master of Social Work from Springfield College.

He is from Brooklyn, NY.

06/22/2026

We are excited to welcome Anaïs Baptiste to our team!

Anaïs aims to address the whole person, not just their symptoms. Her approach to therapy is grounded in a decolonized framework emphasizing liberation, joy, and strength. She draws from psychodynamic, relational, and trauma-informed practices to cultivate a space where clients feel truly seen, heard, and valued. As a Black q***r woman, Anaïs is deeply committed to advocating for and celebrating marginalized identities, fostering a space where clients can feel validated, empowered, and understood.

Her approach is deeply informed by experience with clients who have endured complex trauma, q***r and gender-expansive individuals, people navigating recovery, and those who have experienced harmful impacts of structural and social institutions. Additionally, Anaïs provides s*x worker–affirming care and is knowledgeable in the unique needs and experiences of s*x workers, offering competent, inclusive, and nonjudgmental therapeutic support.

06/22/2026

We are honored to welcome Josh Odem, MS, MSW, LMSW (he, him) to Polestar!

Josh Odam, is a social worker, psychotherapist, and the Founder & Curator of Healing While Black Books, a Black, q***r centric bookstore/reading room in West Philadelphia.

He understands mental (un)wellness is inextricably linked to antiblackness, q***rantagonism, and other forms of oppression. Josh believes his role is to introduce possibility to clients and journey alongside them during the therapeutic process. His approach is multi-disciplinary and incorporates Person-Centered (Rogerian) Therapy and Strengths-Based Therapy within the context of Ignacio Martin-Baro's concept of Liberation Psychology.

He earned his Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Master of Science in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also earned his Master of Social Work from Springfield College.

He is from Brooklyn, NY.

06/22/2026

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Anaïs, MSW (she,her) to our team.

Anaïs aims to address the whole person, not just their symptoms. Her approach to therapy is grounded in a decolonized framework emphasizing liberation, joy, and strength. She draws from psychodynamic, relational, and trauma-informed practices to cultivate a space where clients feel truly seen, heard, and valued. As a Black q***r woman, Anaïs is deeply committed to advocating for and celebrating marginalized identities, fostering a space where clients can feel validated, empowered, and understood.

Her approach is deeply informed by experience with clients who have endured complex trauma, q***r and gender-expansive individuals, people navigating recovery, and those who have experienced harmful impacts of structural and social institutions. Additionally, Anaïs provides s*x worker–affirming care and is knowledgeable in the unique needs and experiences of s*x workers, offering competent, inclusive, and nonjudgmental therapeutic support.

04/15/2026

Our practice continues to grow. Our office expansion is underway, and the new waiting room is now up and running. We’re excited to welcome you into this space—one that reflects our deep commitment to care, connection, and community. As we expand, so does our vision: to broaden access to justice-oriented, liberatory practice that centers out patients, honors lived experience, and places love, justice, and liberation at the heart of the healing journey. We look forward to growing alongside you.

02/02/2026

12/16/2025

Shannon Farrand-Bernardin, LCSW, MDiv, MA (she/her) is Polestar’s newest clinical associate.

Shannon’s clients describe her as warm, empathetic and caring. Her practice of therapy begins by building a relationship where clients are seen, valued and understood. She incorporates curiosity, compassion, and in moments, a sense of humor into her work.
Shannon has many years of experience in college settings and particularly enjoys supporting young adults around issues related to identity development, perfectionism, gender and s*xuality, trauma and histories of family abuse. She is also skilled in supporting adults of all ages through experiences of perinatal and parenting transitions, s*xual and interpersonal violence, grief and loss, spiritual exploration and healing from religious trauma.
As a clinician, Shannon values the lived experience of her clients and partners with them in an eclectic process that draws from social justice oriented frameworks and numerous evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches such as Narrative Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). She also draws insight from attachment theory, Relational-Cultural Theory, feminist and womanist theories and q***r theory.
In addition to a Masters in Social Work in Advanced Clinical Practice from Columbia University School of Social Work, Shannon holds a BA from New York University in French, Italian and Gender & Sexuality Studies, an MDiv in Pastoral Psychology from Luther Seminary, and an MA in Social Ethics and Theology with a focus on women and public health care, from Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York.

12/08/2025

Healing must always be rooted in love, liberation and justice. Visit our practice website today to learn more about how we can walk this journey with you…

https://polestartherapy.com