Visitation Pastor/Pastoral Care

Reverend Joelle Johns is an Ordained Minister, Board Certified Clinical Chaplain and Pastoral Thanatologist. After graduating from UMass Lowell with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, she began her career in human services and the helping professions as a psychiatric social worker and worked in both inpatient facilities and community settings. Over the past several decades, she has worked in geriatric social work, elder guardianship, skilled nursing administration and extensively with hospice and non-profit organizations to provide trauma-informed resources to the community. She concentrated on working with those who carry disenfranchised grief and facilitated grief groups with particular attention to LGBTQIA+ seniors.
After many years of providing spiritual care as a hospice volunteer, Reverend Joelle returned to school and earned a Master’s Degree in Divinity at All Paths Divinity School, an Interfaith Seminary located in California. As part of her calling and discernment, she completed a Pastoral Internship and Associate Minister position at St. Andrew UCC in Sarasota, FL. In pursuit of her dual calling to chaplaincy, Reverend Joelle has completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and has become a Board-Certified Chaplain (BCC).
Reverend Joelle also has additional certifications in Pastoral Thanatology, Death Midwifery and Grief Counseling and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry (DMin) in Pastoral Thanatology with a concentration in end-of-life spiritual needs. She currently works at Trinity Hospice in Worcester as Chaplain and Director of Community Education/Outreach.
Reverend Joelle is originally from Andover, MA, lived in Sarasota, FL for 20 years and now resides in Westminster, MA. She lives with her husband Corydon, their 2 daughters and 3 dogs. Their son lives in the Boston area but visits as often as he can.