About
Imagine all the things in life you could enjoy if you were free from anxiety, relationship stress, and emotional pain.
Relieving your symptoms is a great start, but you deserve lasting freedom to fully enjoy your life.
It's the freedom to live the life that you choose for yourself. Freedom from the oppression and suffering of your anxiety, depression, loneliness, relationship stress, and emotional pain.
We begin by providing relief to your current symptoms. It's essential to resolve any crises and immediate suffering. We create a personal program fro you to manage and tame your crurent symptoms
But a root cause approach continues. We're positioned perfectly to create lasting personal freedom. A little further, and we can resolve the root cause of your suffering.
A little further, and you can free yourself from ever going through that pattern of unhappiness and suffering again.
It can be hard to continue therapy when you begin to feel the relief of your current symptoms or crisis.
Often, a client finds a new relationship or reconnects with the person they had a challenge with. They feel the love again. They thank me and say, "I'm good. I feel great."
I point out that with a little more work, they could unplug the relationship pattern that created the crisis or breakup in the first place
I also mention that if they don't unplug the relationship pattern, they are likely going to recreate the same challenges in their ewn relationship
It's hard to do therapy when you feel good. But that's when it's most powerful. That's when you can set yourself free. Why not claim immediate relief and lasting freedom?
You deserve relief from your current symptoms and the lasting freedom to enjoy the life you choose for yourself.
How Root Cause Psychotherapy Works
Phase 1
Provide Relief for Your Current Symptoms
The first priority is to relieve the stress, pain, and suffering of your current symptoms. With your life experience and my knowledge of anxiety, depression, and isolation, we'll work together to effectively manage your symptoms.
Phase 2
Heal the Root Cause of Your Symptoms
Now that you've identified your symptoms, we can trace them to identify your underlying core issues. Healing these core emotional issues frees you from future symptoms and helps you enjoy happiness, love, and freedom in your life.
Phase 3
Create the Life You Truly Want
Now that your symptoms don't define what you can and can't have in your life, you are free to create the life you choose for yourself. Ongoing guidance and support help you integrate the things you value into your relationships and daily life.
Hi, I'm Michael
When I'm not playing the drums, exploring the Pacific Northwest, or interpreting dreams, I offer psychotherapy sessions with my root cause approach, which both relieves current symptoms and heals the underlying core issues to provide lasting freedom to fully enjoy life.
I bring 30 years of postgraduate experience and extensive training to create a personalized program tailored to your specific needs and situation.
My specialties include: 1) relationship issues and intimacy; 2) anxiety, depression, and social isolation;
3) men's issues and masculine roles; and 4) life transitions such as empty nest, divorce, and breakup.
I'm happy to guide you. Therapy works. Find someone you can work with. It's worth it. Whether it's working with me or somebody else, you owe it to yourself. If you'd like, schedule a free 15-minute consultation. I'm easy to talk to, and I'll help you get the ball rolling.
Background and Education
I attended college at Penn State to study engineering, preparing to start a family and live the American dream. Only it didn't quite work out that way. I began to notice inconsistencies in the story that everyone seemed to subscribe to.
After two years at Penn State, I discovered I was more of a people person, so I switched my major to psychology. I also played drums in a jam band at Penn State, where I became fascinated by the magic and energy of live music.
I decided to start anew by moving out west and continued my undergraduate studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. I began to explore various spiritual and healing practices, including yoga, meditation, Chinese medicine, bodywork, dream interpretation, and the world's religions.
I decided to start anew by moving out west and continued my undergraduate studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. I began to explore various spiritual and healing practices, including yoga, meditation, Chinese medicine, bodywork, dream interpretation, and the world's religions.
The things we offered guided participants to directly experience the truth about their lives. I was amazed by the power of the work and watched people accomplish in a weekend workshop what I had seen in six months of therapy. These workshops and classes were the predecessors of the sessions and retreats I offer today. I apprenticed with Bart for 22 years.
Meanwhile, I completed my Bachelor's degree in Psychology in 1987 and began working in residential treatment centers and a Psychiatric hospital in Boise, Idaho. I returned to school at Boise State University and completed my Master of Social Work degree in 1997.
I offered psychotherapy in clinics for several years before opening my psychotherapy and coaching practice called Natural Way of Being in 2009. I began doing sessions on Zoom in addition to in-person.
I decided to share the traditions and practices that I found so effective by writing two books: Your Natural Gift (2013) and Natural Way of Being (2020).
In 2023, I moved to Ashland, Oregon. In 2025, I decided to get credentialed with the Oregon insurance panels. I had been doing primarily private-pay sessions until his time, but I decided I wanted to make psychotherapy more accessible to more people.
Word on the Street
"The real core of the work I did with Michael is seeing how I have always been looking outward to define myself. What I have found in working with him is that I already had the resources within me to actually create the changes I wanted to make. For me, this has been the pivotal change. I have to say, Michael held my feet to the fire and that is what I really needed. He helped me get in touch with trusting my heart and moving from that place."
Hassle-Free Steps to Your First Session
Step 1:
Consultation
Text/Call Office to Schedule Free Consultation
a. Text/Call our office to book Free 15-min. Phone Consultation to discuss your needs & determine therapy fit.
b. Office staff will Text/Call you to initiate your therapy journey.
Step 2: Register
Register Text Line
& Client Portal; Complete Forms
a. Respond to Spruce invite for text service. b. Respond to Therapy Notes invite to create Client Portal. c. Fill out forms in Client Portal. d. Notify office when forms are complete.
Step 3: Eligibility
Office Text/Calls on Insurance Eligibility; Book First Session
a. Office Staff will text or call you to discuss Insurance Eligibility.
b. Text/Call office to schedule your First Session. c. Receive a Video-Conference Link for your First Session.
Step 4:
1st Session
Create Your Personal Program in First Session
Together, in your first therapy session, we'll create a personalized program that resolves your current symptoms and explores their root cause for lasting relief & personal freedom.