Staying sane in an increasingly crazy, stressful world. Quite a challenge! My vision of therapy is solution-focused, goal-oriented. I am your thinking partner -- in your corner, always. We discuss your problems in the here-and-now, with reference to your background and your childhood only when you need it. We seek out your strengths; you have them, no matter what you believe. Together we target self-defeating behaviors, rather than focusing exclusively on psychopathology. I have 35+ years experience helping clients, have written 2 books, thousands of articles and hosted radio shows and podcasts. Let's get moving!
Therapy with me is solution-focused and goal-oriented. We spend time discussing your problems in the here-and-now, with reference to your background and your childhood only when relevant.
Traditional, conventional therapy tends to be about what’s wrong, what are the symptoms and what can someone else do for you to relieve you? My approach, in contrast, tends to be about what you've done right (even sometimes), what your track record is, what are your strengths, what are your potentialities and how can you build on them. My goal is not to label you, but to lift you up.
I am licensed in Florida, Maryland and South Carolina with 36 years of professional work experience. I have experience in helping clients with stress and anxiety, coping with addictions, relationship issues, & family conflicts. I have authored two books (Bad Therapy Good Therapy: And How to Tell the Difference; and Grow Up, America!); five booklets; and thousands of articles, as well as a self-help column, "Life's a Beach," published in Gannett newspapers since 2005. My primary goal is to help you help yourself. I will guide and coach you, not tell you what to do. We'll reason and think our way to what makes sense together.
Additional areas of focus: LGBT, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, Coaching, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Abandonment, Adoption and foster care, Aging and geriatric issues, Antisocial personality, Attachment issues, Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Avoidant personality, Blended family issues, Body image, Cancer, Chronic pain, illness, and disability, Codependency, Commitment issues, Communication problems, Control issues, Coping with natural or human-caused disaster, Dependent personality, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), Divorce and separation, Domestic violence, Drug and alcohol addiction, Eating and food-related issues, Emptiness, Family of origin issues, Family problems, Fatherhood issues, Forgiveness, Guilt and shame, HIV / AIDS, Hoarding, Hospice and end-of-life counseling, Impulsivity, Infidelity, Isolation / loneliness, Jealousy, Life purpose, Men's issues, Midlife crisis, Veteran and Armed Forces Issues, Mood disorders, Multicultural concerns, Narcissism, Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Paranoia, Personality disorders, Phobias, Prejudice and discrimination, Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-love, Sex addiction, Sexual assault and abuse, Sexuality, Social anxiety and phobia, Workplace issues, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems
MD LCSW-C 06512
FL LCSW SW13160
SC LISW-CP 14084
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Michael Hurd. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Michael is great to work with - very responsive and is focused and empathetic during sessions, which I appreciate.
Written on Jul 17, 2024 after therapy with Michael for 3 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, and coping with life changes
Michael was great at listening to some of the challenges I am currently facing, and offered a refreshing perspective on them!
Written on May 19, 2024 after therapy with Michael for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, sleeping disorders, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, coaching, and adhd