Pronouns: he/him/his
As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Mitchell thinks of therapy as a deeply collaborative venture that provides people with the opportunity to gain insight, modify thinking and behavior, and more easily navigate life’s challenges. During his time in the field of mental health, he has provided services in a number of different settings, including West Valley Community college, community based mental health, and private practice. He received his B.A. of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, and his M.A. in Counseling Psychology here at Santa Clara University. One of his favorite descriptions of the opening phase of therapy is “a process of gentle exploration.”
With the knowledge gained from this exploration, he believes it is possible to instigate lasting change. He often incorporates Mindfulness based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy into his work, as he has seen this approach effectively help individuals cultivate greater self-compassion, and then recognize and change unhelpful patterns of thought, and action.
One of the things he finds most impactful about practicing therapy is the collaborative nature of the venture. Therapy is not something that can be done “to” a person, it can only be done “with” them, and he is excited for the privilege of walking alongside students at SCU as they grow and learn.