About Me

Dr. Joey Paynter, Ph.D., LMHC
Evolutionary Astrologist, Licensed Therapist, Depth Psychologist, Healer and Lecturer
Masters, Clinical Psychology and PhD in Depth Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute 

An Apprenticeship with the Unseen

My path into the healing arts began not in a classroom, but in the quiet, observant spaces of a childhood shaped by an early encounter with loss. In the wake of profound family transition, I learned to withdraw into a deep, internal world where I could quietly map the intricate nuances of human suffering. What began as a survival strategy eventually became a sacred gift: an acute, rare sensitivity to the unspoken struggles of others.

I learned early that the underworld is not a place to be feared, but a landscape to be understood. This apprenticeship with the invisible taught me to navigate the darkness, to welcome the weight of difficult emotions, and to transform the raw material of pain through the expressive power of presence and art.

My formal training is a bridge between rigorous psychological scholarship and the vast world of the mythic imagination. After earning my Master’s in Psychology in 2008, I spent years working within organizational settings with youth and individuals navigating intense life disruptions. While I held a deep respect for traditional psychological frameworks, I felt a compelling pull toward a more ensouled approach, one that could integrate the inherent creativity of the psyche into the sacred soul container.

In 2013, I pursued my Doctorate in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, specializing in Jungian and Archetypal studies. I immersed myself in the language of the unconscious: Greek mythology, dream analysis, and the powerful myths that reside within each of us. My dissertation, Seeing the Invisible: An Intimate Encounter with Hades, was a deep-sea dive into the heart of the Persephone myth. This work became a testament to the capacity of myth to act as a lantern through life’s most painful transitions, allowing a new, transformative story to be written where there was once only silence.

A pivotal shift occurred in 2010 when I encountered Evolutionary Astrology. I was captivated by how a natal chart could intimately reveal the soul’s deepest wiring. I spent years under the mentorship of Steven Forrest and eventually helped launch the Forrest Center for Evolutionary Astrology, where I now lead the Sacred Counsel Course and teach several astrology courses.

I believe the natal chart is a living heartbeat. My work is to listen to that beat, revealing the soul’s mission and bringing your individual story vibrantly to life. I am a perpetual seeker, driven to uncover what lies beneath a painted smile, paying meticulous attention to the subtle cues: the slight inflection in a tone, the movement of a hand, and the stories that remain unspoken in the spaces between words.

My passion for the human soul has guided me across more than 40 countries as a consultant, lecturer, and photojournalist. I have had the privilege of providing supportive care to refugees, orphans, and individuals experiencing severe displacements, helping the voiceless discover and articulate their own powerful resonance. Whether in a global field or a private online consultation, my mission remains the same: to empower others to move from survival into a life of vital autonomy.

Today, I practice as an Evolutionary Astrologer and Archetypal Consultant. In the State of New Mexico, I am a therapist, a licensed professional counselor (LMHC). Within this specialized practice, my work focuses on several core areas of exploration.

  • Relational Alchemy: Untangling inherited family patterns and attachment wounds. I focus on Relational evolutionary systems which involves untangling inherited family patterns and generational archetypes through the natal chart.

  • Parts Work: I utilize Voice Dialogue methods based on the work of Hal and Sidra Stone to assist individuals in reclaiming the fragmented parts of the self.

  • Deep Transitions: I specialize in Deep Transitions, guiding individuals and couples through the underworld phases of life and major planetary cycles.

  • Mentorship: I provide Mentorship, empowering fellow astrologers to excel in the psychological depth of their craft.

  • Astrological Readings: I offer comprehensive Astrological Consultations, including Natal Chart analysis, Progressions and Transits, Solar Returns, Astrocartography, and ongoing Consulting.

My heart continuously longs to create what has yet to be imagined. I invite you into an online space where your history is honored, your soul is seen, and your fullest, most vibrant life is witnessed.


How My Natal Chart Influences My Work

With seven planets in my fifth house, and five of those planets in the sign of Scorpio, my chart reflects that of a woman who must create and look deeply into the world because she knows the world is also deeply looking into her. I am wired to uncover the hidden through a deep form of creative expression that must be shared with others. My chart combines the tension between being hidden and being seen, and it reveals that I am here to live the game of hide and seek. The Scorpio in me wants to hide and withdraw to the depths within, so that I can feel everything and sift out what is real and what is not. The fifth house requires me to express from these darker depths, so that both myself and others might see what is hidden down below.