Michael Stephens is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania with a passion for helping individuals, couples, and families navigate life's challenges and work toward meaningful change.  He earned his Master’s degree in Human Development Counseling, with a specialization in Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling, from the University of Illinois-Springfield in 2014.  He subsequently completed his doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision at Duquesne University in 2018.  He opened his own private practice in 2019 and has been serving the community of Irwin and North Huntingdon since. 

     Michael practices from a Narrative Therapy approach, which invites clients to examine their lives critically and holistically while processing the changes they would like to see in their relationships and personal experiences.  His clinical work is collaborative and focuses on uncovering themes of strengths, exploring clients perceptions of the challenges they face, exploring the strategies they have already used to address them, while strengthening self-identity and self-awareness.  Together, Michael and his clients break desired changes into manageable, meaningful steps that support sustainable growth, or when challenges persist, help clients find ways to work with them and make space for them in their lives.

     In addition to Narrative Therapy, Michael integrates systemic perspectives by including loved ones in the therapeutic process when appropriate.  This approach fosters supportive, connected relationships among clients, their partners, and family members.  

     Michael brings diverse clinical experience from outpatient counseling clinics, school-based therapy, and in-home settings throughout Pennsylvania and Illinois.  He has worked with individuals across a wide-range of diagnoses and life circumstances.  His areas of particular interest include working with those struggling with anxiety and panic symptoms, working with couples and families, supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals, and supporting those who identify under as trans or gender nonconforming.

     Michael believes deeply in the transformative potential of clinical discourse and in each individual's capacity to examine and learn from past experiences.  Through intentional therapeutic dialogue, clients are supported in developing insight, reshaping problem-saturated narratives, and creating new possibilities for greater self-understanding and compassion, and authentic engagement in their lives. 

     As a practice owner, it is incredibly important to Michael that his team shared the core belief that clients are the experts of their own lives.  He emphasizes a collaborative and respectful approach in which clinicians support client in generating their own insights and solutions while feeling heard, valued, and supported throughout the therapeutic process.

    As a supervisor, Michael brings these same values to his work with supervisees and employees.  He seeks to support clinicians in developing their professional voice and identity, highlighting their clinical strengths while fostering cohesion between their theoretical orientations, clinical values, and the needs of the clients they serve.

• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

• Autism / Asperger's Disorders

• Anxiety and Phobias

• Borderline Personality Disorders

• Depression

• Difficulties with Self-Esteem

• Divorce/Co-parenting

• Ethical Nonmonogamy (ENM)

• Gay/Lesbian-Related Issues

• Gender Identity / Dysphoria

• Grief Concerns

• Grounding and Stress Management

• Life Transitions

• Medical and Health Concerns

• Relationship Difficulties

• Relational / Couples Counseling

• Sex and Intimacy Struggles

• Teen/Adolescents

• Trauma-Informed Services

• Transgender and Nonbinary Identities