A Dharma heir of Robert Aitken Roshi, he also studied with Yamada Koun Roshi of the Sanbo Kyodan with headquarters in Kamakura, Japan.
In the early 1980’s Joseph lived and studied with Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village, where he co-translated his Guide to Walking Meditation.
Joseph practiced psychotherapy and psychoanalysis for thirty-five years and is the author of Zen and Psychotherapy: Partners in Liberation (2010) and Waking Up from War: A Better Way Home for Veterans and Nations (2015, foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama).
He is the founding director of Coming Home Project, a community service of Deep Streams Institute whose mission is Zen practice, interdisciplinary education, and community service.
Since 2006, Coming Home has served thousands of returning veterans, and their families and caregivers, with integrative, evidence-based retreats and psychological counseling.
Joseph has taught throughout the U.S. and abroad.