Licensed to practice in Ohio and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and PTSD and 10 more.
(he/him)
New to Grow
I’m M. Brandon Blue, MA, LPCC, NCC, and I work with clients who feel stuck, overwhelmed, disconnected, or uncertain about who they are becoming. My approach is warm, thoughtful, and honest. I help people slow down enough to understand the stories, beliefs, emotions, and relationship patterns that are shaping their lives. Many of my clients are navigating anxiety, depression, stress, grief, relational conflict, spiritual concerns, identity questions, or major life transitions. I do not believe therapy is only about reducing symptoms, although that matters. I also believe therapy is about helping people live with more clarity, agency, emotional honesty, and alignment. In our work together, we may explore what you have been carrying, what you have been avoiding, what matters most to you, and what kind of life you want to move toward. I bring a balance of compassion and directness, creating space for you to feel understood while also helping you notice patterns that may be keeping you stuck.
The first session is primarily about helping me understand your story and helping you decide whether this feels like the right therapeutic fit. You do not have to arrive with everything organized, perfectly explained, or figured out. Many people begin therapy knowing that something feels off, but they may not have the language yet for what is happening. That is completely okay. We will take the time to slow things down and begin making sense of what brought you in. During the first session, I will ask about your current concerns, symptoms, stressors, relationships, family background, work or school life, faith or spiritual context if that is important to you, and any previous counseling experiences. I may also ask about patterns you have noticed in yourself, such as anxiety, emotional shutdown, people pleasing, resentment, avoidance, grief, intrusive thoughts, conflict, or difficulty knowing what you want. The goal is not to interrogate you. The goal is to understand the larger context of your life so our work is grounded and meaningful. We will also discuss what you hope will be different through therapy. Some clients want practical coping skills. Others want to understand themselves more deeply. Some are trying to heal from relational pain, clarify their identity, make a difficult decision, rebuild emotional stability, or reconnect with a sense of purpose. We will begin identifying goals together, but those goals can become clearer over time. By the end of the first session, you can expect to have a better sense of how I work, what themes may be important in therapy, and what direction we may begin moving. I try to create a space that feels calm, honest, and respectful. You can share at your own pace, and we will work together to determine what feels most important to address first.
One of the main strengths I bring to therapy is the ability to hold both compassion and challenge. I care deeply about creating a safe and respectful space, but I am not a therapist who only nods and listens without helping you move somewhere. I believe people often need both understanding and honest reflection. Many clients come to therapy because they are caught in patterns they can feel but cannot fully name. My role is to help you notice those patterns, understand where they may have come from, and decide whether they still fit the life you want to build. My approach is especially shaped by narrative, existential, and values-based counseling. That means I pay attention to the stories you live by, the meaning you make of your experiences, the roles you feel trapped inside, and the values that may be calling you forward. I often work well with clients who are thoughtful, introspective, emotionally tired, relationally frustrated, spiritually unsettled, or tired of functioning on autopilot. I also work well with people who are used to being strong for everyone else but do not have many spaces where they can be honest about what they are carrying. I bring directness, but not harshness. I may gently challenge contradictions, avoidance, self-protective patterns, or old beliefs that are keeping you stuck. At the same time, I believe change usually happens best when people feel respected rather than shamed. I do not see clients as problems to fix. I see them as people trying to survive, adapt, protect themselves, and make meaning, sometimes with strategies that no longer serve them well. My background in counseling, ministry, teaching, and identity-focused work helps me sit with both practical concerns and deeper life questions. We can talk about coping skills, communication, boundaries, and symptoms, but we can also talk about meaning, purpose, faith, grief, shame, agency, and who you are becoming. I try to help clients leave therapy not only with insight, but with a clearer sense of direction.
My ideal client is someone who may feel stuck, overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of how to move forward, but is willing to engage honestly in the therapy process. They may be navigating anxiety, depression, grief, relational conflict, spiritual concerns, identity questions, life transitions, emotional exhaustion, or patterns they keep repeating even though they want something to change. I often work well with clients who are thoughtful, introspective, and ready to better understand themselves. They may not have all the language for what they are experiencing yet, but they are open to slowing down, reflecting, and exploring the deeper stories, beliefs, and emotional patterns shaping their lives. Some clients come in because they feel like they have been functioning for everyone else while quietly losing touch with themselves. Others are trying to make sense of pain, rebuild emotional stability, clarify their values, or become more honest in their relationships. I also welcome clients who want to explore faith, spiritual concerns, religious identity, church hurt, ministry stress, or questions of meaning as part of therapy. For clients who value faith integration, we can include that in our work. For clients who do not, therapy will still be guided by their goals, values, and lived experience. My ideal client does not need to be “good at therapy.” They simply need to be willing to show up, be curious, and participate in the work. I appreciate clients who want both compassion and challenge, who are open to practical steps, and who are willing to consider what kind of life they want to build rather than only focusing on what they want to escape.
Other specialties
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I use ACT to help clients stop fighting their inner experience and start moving toward what matters. Many people come to therapy trying to get rid of painful thoughts, anxiety, sadness, guilt, or fear. While relief is important, sometimes the harder we fight those thoughts and emotions, the more stuck we become. ACT helps clients notice what they are experiencing without being controlled by it. In practice, this may include learning how to make room for difficult emotions, separate yourself from unhelpful thoughts, clarify your values, and take small, meaningful steps toward the life you want. Instead of asking, “How do I make this feeling go away?” we may ask, “What kind of person do I want to be, even when this feeling is present?” ACT is especially helpful for anxiety, depression, avoidance, grief, identity concerns, and life transitions.
Christian Counseling
I offer Christian counseling for clients who want faith to be part of the therapeutic process. This does not mean every session becomes a sermon or that I assume what faith should mean for you. Instead, I work collaboratively with clients to understand how their faith, beliefs, spiritual questions, church experiences, and relationship with God connect to their emotional and relational life. For some clients, faith is a major source of strength, meaning, and direction. For others, faith may be complicated by church hurt, shame, doubt, spiritual exhaustion, or painful religious experiences. I try to create space where those realities can be explored honestly and respectfully. When appropriate, we may include Scripture, prayer, spiritual reflection, theological meaning-making, or discussion of Christian identity and calling. Faith integration is always based on the client’s goals, comfort, and values.
Couples Counseling
In couples counseling, I help partners slow down the patterns that keep turning into conflict, distance, resentment, or disconnection. Many couples say they have a “communication problem,” but often the deeper issue is what happens underneath the words: hurt, fear, defensiveness, unmet needs, shame, loneliness, or feeling unseen. My work with couples focuses on helping each partner better understand their own reactions and the cycle they create together. We may work on emotional honesty, conflict patterns, trust, boundaries, repair, intimacy, parenting stress, betrayal, resentment, or major life transitions. I do not see my role as choosing sides. My goal is to help the relationship become more honest, safe, and clear, while also helping each person take responsibility for their part of the pattern. Couples can expect both support and direct challenge when needed.
Existential
I use existential therapy to help clients explore the deeper questions underneath their distress. Sometimes anxiety, depression, grief, or relationship struggles are not only symptoms to reduce. They may also be connected to questions of meaning, identity, freedom, responsibility, loss, purpose, loneliness, or the direction of one’s life. In existential work, we pay attention to what your life is asking of you. We may explore questions like: Who am I becoming? What do I actually want? What am I avoiding? What matters enough to choose, even when life is difficult? This approach is especially helpful for clients who feel stuck, emotionally disconnected, spiritually unsettled, or caught between who they have been and who they are becoming. My goal is to help clients live with more honesty, agency, and alignment.
Family Therapy
In family therapy, I help family members understand the patterns that shape how they relate to one another. Families often come to therapy focused on one person’s behavior, but the larger relational system usually matters too. Stress, conflict, grief, parenting struggles, emotional reactivity, communication habits, and unspoken expectations can all affect how a family functions. My role is to help the family slow down, listen differently, and understand what is happening beneath the surface. We may work on communication, boundaries, parenting dynamics, emotional regulation, conflict repair, trust, or helping family members better understand each other’s needs. I aim to create a respectful environment where each person has a voice, while also helping the family take practical steps toward healthier patterns. The goal is not perfection, but greater clarity, connection, and responsibility within the family.