Michael D. Wade, PhD
Pastoral Counseling

Psychology as a science has been around for less than 150 years. Psychological Counseling is much newer than that. Modern Psychological Counseling is focused on diagnosing mental and emotional illness and treating it with various therapies. While having a thorough understanding of this approach, Michael continues to use the Pastoral model which does not require diagnosis or prescribed treatments to help people make changes. Pastoral Counseling has been around for thousands of years imbedded in spiritual systems, religious orders, oriental, tribal, native, and cultural wisdom, There have always been people that were sought out to help with life problems, death and grief, problems with marriage and relationships. Some believe these people are born with these skill sets. Some cultures believe they are passed down through families and may be learned. There are aptitude tests to identify if a person should become a counselor. These identify empathy, the desire to listen and give accurate feedback, the ability to entertain diverse world views, without judgment. These tests given to Michael in his early college experience all strongly indicated he should become a counselor regardless of the type of counselor. The Pastoral Counseling practiced by Michael flows from this ancient set of gifts, skills, abilities, and tools. His education and a lifetime of helping people from many cultures has helped him develop his pastoral counseling techniques. His type of Pastoral Counseling is Spiritual, but not Religious. Religious counseling is done primarily by religious leaders, in the context of churches, synagogues, or holy places. While pastoral counselors are trained in a variety of ways including an in-depth understanding of many religions, not all pastoral counselors are found in the traditional church setting. Some function independently from the institutional church. Michael is one of those who functions as a pastoral counselor outside the incorporated institutional system. He is educated, trained and ordained to fulfill all forms of ministry. This allows him to work with a wide variety of clients with diverse backgrounds, walks of faith, different thinking patterns and views in life. Everyone's journey in life is different and he is here to help you discover more about yourself. If you'd like to discuss further to see if he would be a good fit for you and your journey - give him a call today.

Michael's Pastoral Counseling has a unique way of using ancient counseling techniques to help people find balance, peace, and joy in their lives. His form of counseling is non-judgmental and can accommodate his clients world view and any spiritual background his client may have. If the client has no spiritual or religious beliefs this is no problem. We all develop a belief system over our life, He helps his clients discover their beliefs and systems of beliefs, that may be holding behaviors or patterns in their life that they may want to change. He helps his clients understand their emotions as a system which helps them understand themselves better. Pastoral counselors are able to offer a format for improving thinking and emotional wellbeing and are able to also provide spiritual counseling that people of faith may seek. Regardless of religious or spiritual background, ones unique belief system is included in the healing process. Michael is experienced in providing help for those experiencing unwanted emotions, and creating a path to change. His aim is to help clients find their own path to healing and personal growth. He understands that each individual has their own unique story and it is his goal to help clients share their stories in a safe, non-judgmental environment.

We use a sliding-fee scale to help make the counseling experience affordable. The fee is determined by your gross monthly income. Please see below to find your fee: In-Person or Telehealth (50 minutes) - making $6,000 or more per month ($150/session) In-Person or Telehealth (50 minutes) - making less than $5,000 per month ($125/session) In-Person or Telehealth (50 minutes) - making less than $4,000 per month ($100/session) In-Person or Telehealth (50 minutes) - making less than $3,000 per month ($75/session) ​ In-Person or Telehealth (50 minutes) - making less than $2,000 per month ($50/session)