ABOUT MIKE

Hello! I’m a licensed mental health counselor living and working in Newburgh, NY. I moved to the Hudson Valley at the beginning of 2020 (the most convenient time to get to know your community and surroundings.)

I opened my private practice in the summer of 2024 after feeling a misalignment with my employer and how I practice authentically as a queer person. 

Striking out independently has enabled me to uphold the values that are most important to me within therapy and my social responsibilities as a human being. 

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS

Licensed Mental Health Counselor: NY- 013116

Registered Telehealth Provider: FL- TPMC4707

NCC- National Certified Counselor (#1547590)

  • Bachelor’s in Psychology and Art from Syracuse University

  • Master’s in Counseling and Art Therapy from Caldwell University

  • Certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy 

  • Certified Animal-Assisted Interventions Specialist from AAAPI

  • Registered Therapy Dog Team- Pet Partners

  • Currently enrolled in a post-graduate certificate program in Veterinary Social Work through the University of Tennessee Knoxville

  • Currently enrolled as an LGBTQ+ Community Health Scholar with SUNY Binghamton

  • Completed a 15-hour fundamental training in IFS with Inner World Collective

I have extensive training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) which I use with most of my clients to address the polarized, all-or-nothing, us vs. them socialization we face on a day-to-day basis in the U.S. I am currently pursuing additional training in RO-DBT, which embraces radical openness and focuses more on social signaling and finding our tribes.

I also have experience with Internal Family Systems (IFS or parts work) and narrative therapy; many of my queer clients find this language to be a natural fit.

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK TOGETHER

I practice from a humanistic lens and don’t abide strictly by any one intervention or approach.

During the intake process, I take the time to listen to my clients and hear what has helped them in previous therapy ventures and other life experiences to guide our work together.

My in-person clients love to settle into my office, carefully curated with everything cozy and quirky, and with my therapy dog Penny. She provides comfort, curiosity, playfulness, and sensitivity as we unpack and process difficult things. My virtual clients love the accessibility and convenience of joining from their own special space.

Some of my clients really benefit from sessions that are more structured and skills-based, but others would find that totally painful!

Let’s discuss together what kind of approach works best for you. 

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This is the waiting room
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ABOUT PENNY

Penny is a 4 year old Beagle/Chihuahua mix rescued from the Humane Society of Walden. Penny is a registered therapy dog with Pet Partners, the leading agency for animal-assisted interventions in the U.S.

Penny loves to welcome clients as they enter the office and orient them to the space. She helps clients with coregulation, boundaries, empathy, and play.

Penny enjoys her off days cuddling with her momma, Maisy, and her other siblings. She’s a great walker and loves to explore the outdoors.

Penny loves rope toys and stuffies, sometimes a little too much.