Joseph Walsh, MSW, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. He was a full-time faculty member for 25 years there, teaching courses and engaging in research on topics related to clinical social work practice. Prior to his career in academia, he was a full-time practicing professional. Today, he is a part-time clinical practitioner at Richmond Creative Counseling. His research has largely been focused on serious mental illness and their diagnoses.