Hi, I’m Michael.

There’s an old idea that suffering enters our lives through the gap between the reality we encounter and the models of reality we construct or are compelled to accept. I don’t know how true that is, but I do know from firsthand experience that changing our patterns of thought, habits and perspectives can change our worlds. Getting to those changes in thought and perspective is a journey and it’s one I’d be honored to take with you.

Clinical Experience

Before becoming a counselor I spent years in documentary film, TV and journalism where I worked with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and walks of life — from CEOs to federal inmates, and refugees to celebrities, and regular moms, dads and kids — to help them tell their stories and make sense of their worlds in clear and creative ways. My goal is to bring these same skills into counseling to help you untie whatever knots have you feeling tangled or frustrated in life. I believe that together we can loosen those binds and clarify the dynamics that brought you to therapy in the first place.

Before working in film full time I worked in academia; teaching at a university while working on my PhD in media and philosophy. There I learned to research and understand academic literature. These skills help me stay up-to-date with evidence-based therapies and approaches to mental health.

Clinical Specialties

I have a keen and compassion-centered interest in working with individuals who are navigating stress, anxiety and depression related to grief, transition and feelings of being lost or stuck.

Education

M.A., Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Trevecca University (Expected Graduation, May 2025)

PhD (ABD), Screen Cultures, Northwestern University

M.A., Communication Culture & Technology, Georgetown University

B.A., Auburn University

Groups