Joe Matarese wants to fix himself.

He feels anxious, lacks confidence and might need antidepressants, he says. He needs some advice — and has sought it from fans of his stand-up comedy routines.

Matarese, 43, has a serious side and is dealing with being a new father and husband. His favorite type of comedian can touch on a dark note and then perk up the audience with a punch line.

Matarese, whose credits include “Chelsea Lately,” “Late Show With David Letterman” and “The Howard Stern Show,” uses his podcast “Fixing Joe” to supply material for his stand-up act, which he will perform Friday and Saturday at the Stress Factory in New Brunswick.

“It’s kind of like a reverse talk show,” Matarese says of “Fixing Joe,” where he uses his guests and listeners to help him fix his problems. (Matarese also will tour theaters soon with a one-man “Fixing Joe” show).

Matarese, a Cherry Hill native who now lives in Westchester, N.Y., says it’s everyday life — not going onstage — that gives him anxiety.

“When I’m onstage, I’m the best version of myself,” he says. “It’s when I’m walking six inches lower and on the same plane as everyone else that I run into problems.

“Before meeting my wife, I used to get dumped a lot. Girls would see me onstage and think, ‘He’s funny, happy, likeable,’ and then they want to date me and a month in they were like ‘Oh, that was an illusion.’ ”

As Matarese’s life has evolved, about 75 percent of his act revolves around fatherhood and being married to a psychologist, Stephanie Cosencino. He calls her his opposite.

“He’s a comedian and I’m a psychologist, and both seem different on the surface,” says Cosencino. “But both focus on human behavior, so we connect on that level.”

The duo also had a one-episode stint on Bravo’s reality series “Better Half,” where comedians taught their spouses how to perform a stand-up routine. Matarese and Cosencino won, taking home the $20,000 prize.

As for Matarese’s insecurities, Cosencino credits him with handling big life decisions with ease, but it’s the little stuff ­— like booking a hotel near the airport or his gig — that gets him worked up. The purpose behind “Fixing Joe” is to get those insecurities to subside so he doesn’t pass them along to his son, Matarese says.

Becoming a “better Joe” is a continually evolving process that viewers get to watch happen, one step at a time.

“When you come to see me, it’s just not jokes about Obama,” says Matarese. “You’re watching a funny story unfold, with a beginning, middle and an end.”

Joe Matarese

Where: The Stress Factory, 90 Church St., New Brunswick

When: Friday and Saturday at 8 and 10:30 p.m.

How much: $18; call (732) 545-4242 or visit stressfactory.com.

