'Therapy Without a Degree' web series shows people how to find happiness and peace
Joe Fucarino might not be a licensed therapist, but he believes his tough upbringing and past experiences can help others.
"I understand how it is to battle depression and mental health," he says. "I have dealt with it for most of my life. And after years of healing, I know how hard it is. I know that we all go through it, and sometimes we just need someone to talk to or to hear someone else's perspective."
Fucarino grew up in low-income housing in Lodi with a single mother who struggled with heroin addiction. "I had a very close group of friends growing up," he says. "But I also dealt with a lot of bullying in middle school."
He was always creative and enjoyed drawing and writing. Fucarino studied restaurant and hotel management in college and worked in the restaurant industry from ages 16 through 24. He ended up getting into sales and becoming a store manager for a few years before deciding to start his own business when he was 26.
"I quit my job and began driving for Uber," says Fucarino. He spent all of his free time starting two businesses: wellness brand Therapy Without a Degree and creative marketing and branding agency Jersey Media.
Why is talking about mental health so important to you?
Overcoming mental health trauma and depression inspired me to start Therapy Without a Degree to become a platform to help others. Growing up through lots of adversity — having a mother who was addicted to heroin, a father who has been an alcoholic, and dealing with bullying at a very young age — was not easy. But the individuals on our platform and I have overcome so much and think it's important that we spread awareness on our experiences, our perspectives and what we have learned from them.
What is Therapy Without a Degree?
It is an unconventional wellness brand. We run events and host in-person podcasts with a live audience. We release new episodes of the podcast every week and have more than 250 episodes where we cover topics such as mental health, relationships, motivation, entrepreneurship, parenting, lifestyle, and much more. The podcast features barbershop-style conversation for the everyday person. We have also developed a TV show released exclusively on YouTube. The very first episode is based on how I came up with the idea for Therapy Without a Degree.
When did the podcast start and who were some of your favorite guests?
The podcast started around Thanksgiving of 2016. We have had some amazing guests on the show. Grammy-nominated R&B singer Emanny was great. Having the deputy mayor of Lodi, Vinny Martin, on our show was legendary, and Crispy of the Crispy NYC clothing brand was cool as well. But most of all, the best moments are anytime when my stepdaughter, Jayleen, has called in.
Tell me about your web series.
"Therapy Without a Degree" is also a scripted web series that reflects the average human experience and speaks on a variety of social issues and mental health topics that are often stigmatized, trivialized, or overlooked altogether. It transcends the typical coming-of-age story by pushing new boundaries of very real issues including mental health, drug abuse, relationships, and unorthodox methods of coping.
The characters face these issues head-on and give a voice to those who battle in silence or without a platform. We've begun an incredible journey with the characters in this series, and want to continue building it to spread these messages. There's so much to say. We want the opportunity to show the audience how these characters overcome their challenges to find peace, liberation, and happiness.
What type of events do you help put together?
In addition to our TV show and podcast, "Therapy Without a Degree" hosts art therapy and music therapy events. These are curated events with art vendors, music vendors, artists displaying their work as gallery pieces and musical performances. The events are for individuals who use art and music as a form of therapy. "Therapy Without a Degree" also has a Friendsgiving each year, and runs a food drive for Thanksgiving and a toy drive for the holidays.
What is Jersey Media?
Jersey Media is a creative marketing and branding agency. We offer marketing, video production, press, graphic design, social media marketing and wedding services. I am the CEO and creative director. Michelle Valerie is our administrative assistant, along with contributions from Phillip Dias Jr., Fernando Gonzalez, Kassandra Jackson, Javier Thomas, Desiree Perez, Rui Pereira, Christopher Patire and many more.
What does a typical day in your week look like?
I am always working. I have a lot of dreams and goals, so I am working on my craft all throughout the day. I'm a night owl, so I wake up on the later side around 9 or 10 a.m. I start my day off by checking in with my social media accounts to make sure everything is flowing and new content is being published. I check in with the staff and my network of fellow entrepreneurs, along with calls with clients for future projects. I spend a few hours editing content while listening to podcasts. Depending on the day, I am either producing a podcast, on a film set, or at a client's business creating content. I am always working on new plans for the business.
Outside of work, I love to swim, so I try to swim three or four days a week. I also make sure I spend some time with my dog, Princess. I like to go to parks, and go for a nice walk and enjoy the atmosphere. I also spend time talking to my stepdaughter via FaceTime, since she lives very far away.
What are some of your favorite things to do in Bergen?
I love to go to Napoli Pizza in Lodi and Century Park in Garfield. I also enjoy going to Lodi Lanes and Billiards Cafe in Lodi. A new place that I am really loving is Thumbody in Paramus. It is a super-cool coffee shop and vinyl store.
What’s next?
We are currently raising money to help build our Jersey Media Creator Studio. The studio will be in Lodi and will offer podcast production, makeup and SFX, photography, social media, marketing and much more. We want to provide the ultimate creative workspace for our fellow creatives. We also plan on filming Season 2 of "Therapy Without a Degree," and I have a future series I am going to start writing called Just Dance.
Anything else you would like to add?
I would like to thank (201) and everyone who has supported and shown love for the mission we are on. To everyone battling mental health issues, know that we love you, and it may sound very simple, but it is going to be okay. Perspective is everything.
Get to know Joe Fucarino
Age: 33
Socials:@JoeFucarino_ (Instagram)@therapywithoutadegree (Instagram)@therapytheseries (Instagram)@TherapyWithoutADegreePodcast (YouTube)jersey-media.com (Web)
Grew up and currently lives in: Lodi
Education: Lodi High School and Bergen Community College
Future aspirations: I want to continue making films and eventually write and direct films on a bigger scale. I want to create my own rehab one day and add much more value to my community in every way possible.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 'Therapy Without a Degree' web series helps people find peace
