Chad Steele

Chad Steele, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia with nearly 20 years of experience helping individuals and families navigate crisis, trauma, stress, and major life transitions. He specializes in working with clients who feel overwhelmed, emotionally stuck, or at risk for worsening symptoms and who need practical, stabilizing support.

In addition to providing outpatient counseling, Chad serves as a Clinical Coordinator at Horizon Behavioral Health’s Crisis Receiving Center, where he helps oversee services including 23‐hour observation, residential crisis stabilization, and medical detox. This background allows him to confidently support clients with higher‐acuity needs, complex stressors, and situations where safety, structure, and clear coping strategies are essential.

Chad’s approach is collaborative, structured, and goal‐focused. He draws primarily from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Collaborative Problem Solving (Think:Kids), and Therapeutic Options to help clients reduce distress, improve emotional regulation, and build skills that translate into daily life. He works well with adults, adolescents, and families dealing with anxiety, anger, family conflict, trauma reactions, substance‐related concerns, and crisis‐driven situations.

Chad holds a Master of Education in School Counseling and an Advanced Counseling Certificate from the University of Lynchburg, along with a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Professional Counseling from Johnson University. He is a registered clinical supervisor with the Virginia Board of Counseling, a former Certified Anger Management Specialist, and a current Therapeutic Options Trainer.

Above all, Chad strives to create a supportive, respectful environment where clients feel heard, stabilized, and empowered to move forward—especially during challenging or high‐stress periods.

My approach to therapy is practical, collaborative, and grounded in helping people feel safer, more stable, and more in control of their lives—especially during periods of high stress or emotional overwhelm. Over the course of my career, I’ve worked across inpatient, outpatient, and emergency services settings, which shapes how I support clients who may be facing crisis, trauma, or complex life challenges.

I primarily use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Together, we identify unhelpful patterns, process difficult emotions, and develop clear, realistic strategies that can be used outside of sessions. I also integrate trauma‐informed care, family systems perspectives, and Collaborative Problem Solving to meet each client where they are and respect their unique experiences and strengths. I am also beginning to utilize EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) as well.

Therapy with me is collaborative and goal‐focused. I work closely with clients to identify what they want to change, what feels most urgent, and what progress would look like for them. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, anger, family conflict, trauma reactions, or feeling stuck during a life transition, my goal is to provide a supportive environment where you feel heard, respected, and empowered to move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

During our first session, we’ll focus on getting to know one another and creating a solid, comfortable foundation for our work together. I’ll begin by reviewing informed consent so you understand your rights, how confidentiality works, and what to expect from therapy. I aim to keep this clear and straightforward, with plenty of space for questions.

We’ll then talk about what brought you to counseling and what you’re hoping to get out of it. You can share as much or as little as you’re comfortable with—there’s no pressure to have everything figured out right away. I’ll also ask some general background questions to better understand your experiences, current stressors, and priorities. By the end of the session, we’ll begin identifying goals and next steps that feel realistic and meaningful to you.

Most importantly, my goal for the first session is to help you feel supported, respected, and at ease. Many people come into therapy feeling guarded, unsure, or exhausted from carrying things on their own. That’s completely normal. I work intentionally to create a space where you don’t have to put on a front—where you can show up honestly at your own pace. Building trust is essential to effective therapy, and I approach that with transparency, compassion, and genuine collaboration from the very first meeting.