Mike Petagna

Mike Petagna is an Arizona Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with eight years of clinical experience. He works with adults facing stress, anxiety, addictions, parenting struggles, self-esteem concerns, and the practical strain of life changes. He speaks English and practices in Arizona.

Mike frames sessions as straightforward conversations about what is causing strain now. He prefers clear goals and measurable steps so clients can see what changes are possible. Sessions focus on thinking patterns, coping skills, and small behavioral shifts that fit into daily life.

His approach draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and on Dialectical Behavior Therapy for emotion regulation skills. He also uses Solution-Focused Therapy to help people set short-term goals and try specific strategies between sessions. These methods are used to address addiction-related struggles, parenting challenges, and routine anxiety symptoms.

Mike aims to balance practical tools with attentive listening. He talks through what is working and what needs adjusting, and he helps people practice new responses to old problems. He also addresses topics such as family of origin issues, attachment concerns, codependency, and fatherhood issues when they relate to current goals.

People who want concrete steps and clearer next moves may find his style useful. To begin, clients use the site matching process to book a first session and outline their goals.

How his approaches translate to online sessions

Mike commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help identify and change thinking patterns that keep problems going. CBT focuses on concrete exercises and homework to practice new responses, which can be reviewed during sessions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy provides skills for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness; DBT skills are often taught in short, practical segments and practiced in follow-up conversations.

Finding the best approach is part of the work. He will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That process includes trying strategies, noting what helps, and adjusting the plan if needed so sessions stay useful and relevant.

Session formats are not specified here, so confirm available options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins when schedules demand, and make practicing skills between meetings simpler. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT and DBT exercises to an online setting so people can work on coping skills and short-term goals without changing their daily routine.