About Mike
Mike Petagna is a Licensed Professional Counselor with eight years of experience helping people manage stress and anxiety. He offers straightforward support for everyday problems like low self-esteem, parenting strain, addiction concerns, and big life changes. Mike speaks plainly and focuses on what matters to the person sitting across from him.
He uses practical methods that help people change unhelpful thoughts and learn new coping skills. Sessions are collaborative and goal-focused, so clients leave with clear steps to try between meetings.
Background and approach
Mike adapts conversation and plans to fit each person’s situation rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. People often come for help with worry that interferes with daily life, trouble handling cravings or substance use, or feeling stuck after a life transition. He also works with concerns tied to attachment, family-of-origin issues, communication problems, and fatherhood.
Mike can talk through challenges linked to aging, autism and Asperger syndrome, codependency, and eating-related struggles. He emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion in session. That means listening first, naming patterns second, and developing small, doable steps next.
Mike supports clients who want to build confidence, improve coping, and take practical action toward a more satisfying life. Sessions are offered in English and are based in Arizona. The focus is on clear, manageable goals and steady progress rather than quick fixes.
Approaches that translate well to online care
Mike uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new ways of thinking and behaving to reduce worry and improve daily functioning. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy often helps with anxiety, stress, and motivation issues.He also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills to teach emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and better interpersonal communication. Those skills can be useful for managing strong emotions, impulsive behavior, and relationship stress.
Choosing the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with the client about goals and preferences and then try a method that fits their needs. If something doesn't fit, adjustments are made together so the work stays useful and practical.
Online sessions allow flexibility in how people connect. Video calls support face-to-face interaction for skill work and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be a simpler option when bandwidth or camera use is limited. Live chat and text messaging provide brief check-ins, coaching between sessions, or a lower-effort way to keep momentum. These options make it easier to fit regular work into a busy life and to practice new skills between meetings.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Parenting issues
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Phobias
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 8 years
- Licensed
- Arizona
- Languages
- English
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