About Me

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

My entire life has felt like one big game of hide and seek. The loss of my brother when I was just 4 years old was a catalyst to a deeper connection with the things we can’t physically see or logically understand. I spent most of my childhood hiding in plain sight, learning the nuances of suffering and sorrow, which I treated like companions. 

There was something in my hiding - in being unseen - that also gifted me with sight.  Many years later, I sought the inner crevices of my wounds, and everyone else’s too. The therapy room became a natural home for me, first as a client, then as a counselor. 

My early years taught me to see in the dark, and it became quite natural for me to feel and understand other people’s pain. I could feel it because I, too, lived close to mine.

In 2008, I graduated with a masters in Clinical Psychology. Over the next two years I worked in a group home for 12 - 17 year olds as the resident therapist, ran support groups and did private practice for individuals. I had a deep respect for the therapeutic container, but I also knew I wanted to utilize more of my creativity to help others heal.

In 2010, astrology came onto my radar after experiencing a reading by renowned evolutionary astrologist Steven Forrest. I was blown away by how well this stranger knew me just from reading my natal chart. In 2013, I decided to pursue my doctorate in Depth Psychology with an emphasis in Jungian and Archetypal studies. I was most drawn to Greek mythology, dreams, and unpacking the personal archetypes. I dove deep into the myths that live in each of us and explored how to use imagery as a way to work deeper with the psyche. In 2016, I began studying under Steven, and five years later I was part of the opening of the Forrest Center for Evolutionary Astrology. The first two years I taught several classes and now I primarily teach the Sacred Counsel Course with the FCEA.

There is so much to be unearthed by diving into our natal chart. Evolutionary astrology has helped me to see and understand that I was wired for the work I do now. 

I am the seeker… of what lies beneath a painted smile and what is hidden behind spoken words. I pay attention to how my clients speak, the way they move their lips, the slightest inflection in their tone, how they move, and how their eyes fill with emotion (or don’t). I am often acutely aware of what remains hidden in a person’s story – underneath their emotions – and what lingers in the spaces between a person’s words.

This intuitive knowing, combined with my clinical training and studies in Jungian and Archetypal psychology, has given me a beautiful platform for uncovering the depths of other’s soul expressions. By listening to the unique heartbeat found in one’s natal chart and using the language of evolutionary astrology, I help bring my clients’ stories - and soul’s mission - to life. I believe in the incredible power of talk therapy, and I also believe strongly in creating a space where others can meet and engage with the different parts in their psyche.

My diverse background in psychological studies and passion for empowering the human soul has led me to over 40 countries as a counselor, healer, lecturer, teacher, and photojournalist. I’ve provided healing and therapy to refugees, orphans, sex workers, victims of trauma, and have led support groups for those who have been affected by HIV/AIDS.

These days, I specialize in astrology readings and sacred counseling sessions especially with a focus on relational dynamics, reclaiming one's personal power, meeting and integrating the inner parts of the self, and my favorite – the art of sacred play. My heart longs to create what has yet to be created and to empower others to be fully alive.


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.