I’m Michael, a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, U.S. Army veteran, and Co-Founder & Lead Clinician of Safe Harbor Counseling of Missouri. My path has included homelessness, military service, higher education, chaplaincy, and my own experiences with mental health and late-life diagnoses.
Born and raised in South Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, I learned early that culture, community, and belonging can influence how people understand themselves and one another. I served as a U.S. Army combat engineer from 1997 to 2004 and later spent more than nine years as a chaplain supporting older adults and people experiencing homelessness. Photography and playing guitar remain meaningful parts of my life outside the counseling room.
After moving to St. Louis, I earned an associate degree from St. Louis Community College, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a Master of Education in Psychological Counseling from the University of Missouri–St. Louis. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and I have been certified to treat Misophonia by soQuiet.org.
