Michael Olivares, PhD

I tend to work with people who are feeling overwhelmed by hardships or traumas in their lives, struggling to feel secure in relationships after difficult childhood experiences, and/or stuck in life patterns that frustrate them. They are also often trying to connect more deeply with themselves or others, and/or confronting systems that disempower and marginalize them.

Therapy can be a place where you put words to what feels difficult to name, work through what you feel stuck in, and find the safety to explore and experience what it may be hard to talk about or express elsewhere. It can also be a place to feel more rooted in who you are and strengthened in contending with the world around us.

I draw from many perspectives as a therapist, focusing both on the present circumstances of your life as well as the way the past (and history) has influenced and shaped you. I’m both insight-oriented and practical. I also believe that people are not, and are much more than, their problems, and that the distress people experience often comes from problems with our society.

I’ve worked and trained in many different settings, with people of many different backgrounds and circumstances, and I will tailor my approach to what works best for you. I’m a warm, affirming, and gently curious therapist who will be committed to really listening to you. This work, and each person I work with, really matters to me.

Reach out if this feels like a good fit for you! I’ll do my best to get back to you within 24 hours.

– Michael Olivares, PhD