Thank you for sharing information about yourself. I'm so happy that you reached out for help. I am Michael Creech, a licensed therapist. My goal is to meet you where you are by bringing a compassionate approach backed by formal training and experience and be a part of your goals in the change process. I am very personable as well as professional and I do not believe in one-sided relationships. I have a multidisciplinary, eclectic approach to therapy in which I utilize techniques and principles from a variety of modalities to include Christian based. My counseling is geared toward treating the whole person from a biopsychosocial spiritual standpoint. I view counseling as a calling and not as a career and that it is a collaborative effort in which I learn and grow as a result of every interaction. My clients describe me as a “good listener” and as someone who “makes me think”. Some of the experiences that have contributed to my professional identity and approach to mental health treatment are my formal education at Pensacola Christian College where I received a BA in Pastoral Ministry and Liberty University where I received a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I have worked as a therapist under regulatory agencies for 6 years and have worked in Christian Ministry since my ministerial ordination in 2003. Demographics I have served have included inpatient and outpatient care, private practice, substance abuse issues, psychotic spectrum disorders, gender identity issues, personality disorders, sex addiction, family and relationship issues, depression, anxiety, PTSD, Spirituality, and men’s issues. My experiences as a combat military veteran, teacher, father, husband, and a person who has experienced my own traumas and failures have contributed to my professional development. I look forward to getting to know you!

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

My goal in the initial session is is to work to develop rapport. It is well known that in therapeutic roles the relationship between the client and therapist is the greatest predictor of better outcomes in treatment. Ultimately my goal is for the client to determine if they feel that I am a good fit for them because that is what matters. Initial sessions additionally involve an administrative element that characteristically different from sessions that may occur later down the road once therapeutic alliance has been established and administrative necessities have been taken care of. Typically in an initial session we will discuss my treatment approach, limitations of confidentiality, and biopsychosocial assessing. Assessment is an ongoing process but is typically quite pronounced in the initial session. I encourage clients to vocalize their goals for therapy and to answer questions that are designed to help me understand what might be effective for them and to tailor my approach accordingly.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

It all comes down to worldview. All science has a philosophical base. I do not believe that human beings are primarily material in nature. There is a strong role for spirituality in clinical mental health counseling. I believe human beings are primarily a living soul that have a body. I have worked outside of my childhood home for 30 years, have raised children, have served in military combat, I have a personal and strong relationship with my Creator. These personal experiences have an impact on my professional approach. There is a degree of maturity and wisdom that is necessary in order to effectively council people who are hurting or who otherwise are declaring that they do not have the tools to solve the problems that they are faced with on their own. Research has shown that there are better outcomes in therapy when a client’s worldview is incorporated into the work that they do in therapy. The research also tells us that most clients would prefer to have their worldview incorporated into the work that they do in therapy. Education tells people what to think it is their worldview that teaches them how to think. The underlying principle of cognitive behavioral therapy is that false beliefs result in poor mental health and this reality is something that I am effective at guiding my clients through. I believe these are some of the qualities they have enabled me to be effective. As a counselor I'm not primarily motivated by the business piece or the income aspect of the work that I do. This becomes a pitfall often for counselors and has a negative impact on their approach. I do not have a tendency to inappropriately personalize my relationship with my clients. I'm not afraid of conflict or timid, I'm not easily offended, I do not force my views or perspectives on my patients, I do not just agree with people and stroke their ego in order to make them feel good and keep coming back to therapy or otherwise encourage them to be psychologically reliant upon me. I think my clients respect these qualities and they enable me to be effective.

About Michael Creech