Justine Mastin, MA, LMFT, LADC, E-RYT 200, YACEP (aka JustiniYogini) is a therapist, yogi, writer, podcaster, and full-time rabble-rouser. As the creator/fearless leader of YogaQuest, narrated yogic adventures, and the owner/founder of Blue Box Counseling, Justine specializes in working with clients and students who self-identify as being outside the mainstream—such as those in the geek, secular, and LGBTQIA communities. Justine is the captain/co-host of the Starship Therapise podcast, has contributed to numerous books on pop culture and psychology, and regularly blogs about the healing power of fandom for Psychology Today and psychotherapy.net. Outside of the office, Justine appears at pop culture conventions around the country teaching yoga and speaking on geek wellness topics. Justine takes a holistic approach to healing: mind, body, and fandom. You can find her on facebook, instagram, and twitter @mindbodyfandom.

My Training and Approach to Therapy

I received my MA in Addiction Counseling from the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies in 2011, and then a post-MA certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Thomas in 2013. I am an AAMFT and MN Board-approved supervisor.

My work/training experience is diverse, including working in treatment facilities, doing drug/alcohol interventions, and working in a private practice setting. I have experience working with individuals, families, and couples, and spent significant time training in work with chemical dependency issues, adolescents, and the African American community

My Approach to Yoga

I never felt quite comfortable in the “traditional” wellness world. Even after becoming a certified yoga teacher through CorePower in 2010, I didn’t feel like I fit in. I knew I couldn’t be alone in this feeling of “otherness,” so I set about making yoga accessible to the geek community, and YogaQuest was born. YogaQuest’s prime directive is to create a safe space for people outside the mainstream to care for themselves, while still being themselves, and to advocate for the power of self-care and self-compassion.

I am the lead trainer of YogaQuest's Yoga Teacher Training Program as well as being the lead trainer and creator of the Yogiography™: narrative yoga training.

In order to provide an ever-more inclusive yogic environment, I’ve continued my yoga education and am certified in:

• Street Yoga, trauma-informed yoga, with founder Mark Lilly

• Yoga for All, body positive yoga, with Dianne Bondy and Amber Karnes