(They/He)
New to Grow
My name is mike kessler (they/he), and I'm a genderqueer, transmasculine, pansexual therapist with over 30 years of experience. I specialize in serving LGBTQIA+ people around exploring gender & attractions, depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, dating & sex, coming out, family & relationship issues, body image and neurodivergence, among other things. I believe you are the expert on you, not me! I take a collaborative, client-centered & humanistic approach to therapy. I use cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you identify & change unhelpful thought patterns, develop skills to manage your emotions & somatic work to foster a mind-body approach and help you get comfortable in your body. So what are you waiting for? Let's get started!
Our first session will be an opportunity for us to get to know each other. We’ll discuss your background & what brings you to therapy. Therapy is a process & we’ll continue to build our work together over time. It’s completely normal to feel nervous about your first appointment. We’ll take it one step at a time & I’ll guide you each step of the way.
I have a warm, friendly demeanor, and I am gentle, direct, open and transparent so there's never any surprises in therapy. My goal is to put you at ease over time, starting with our first meeting. I don't expect you to trust me on day one, but I hope to earn your trust over time.
I work best with anyone willing to show up to therapy and do the hard work of honestly looking at themselves and dealing with whatever might be holding them back from reaching their full potential. I don't have all the answers and I unfortunately don't have a magic wand to fix all of the man-made ailments of the world that affect you, but I will listen and support you while helping you navigate those barriers--you don't have to do this alone! That includes talking openly and honestly about isms and phobias and the constructs that permeate our culture and affect your day to day life, how to cope with the added, ongoing stress of them and figuring out ways to increase joy despite them.
Gender-affirming therapy
I've worked with children, adolescents and adults who are transgender, non-binary, gender expansive or questioning to help them explore their identity, support family & partners, and access gender affirming care to decrease their dysphoria & thereby decrease depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and non- suicidal self-injurious behavior.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
I believe that you are the expert, not me. I am here to listen, to ask questions, to walk beside you on your journey and to empower you to embrace those parts of you hidden or hated. I draw on a variety of different therapeutic modalities to help you reach your full potential, find healing, and achieve your treatment goals.