Mike Smukler

I’m Mike Smukler, a licensed mental health counselor with over two decades of experience working with adults across Massachusetts. Before this work I was in film, teaching filmmaking at a nonprofit media arts center, and in 2004 I spent a year on a suicide hotline that changed the direction of my life. Both taught me the same thing: pay close attention, don’t rush people, and trust that people usually know more about themselves than they let on.

Since then I’ve worked across private practice, outpatient care, and community mental health, and I’ve also held clinical supervision and leadership roles supporting other clinicians.

Today, I work with adults of all backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ clients, and I bring a depth-oriented approach that draws from psychodynamic therapy, mindfulness, and ACT - practiced without rigidity. rigidity. Sessions are available via telehealth Tuesday through Saturday across Massachusetts.

My approach is grounded in psychodynamic therapy,

which means we pay attention to patterns, history, and what's actually happening beneath the surface. I also draw from mindfulness-based approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and a thread of Taoist philosophy that shapes how I think about change: less forcing, more understanding. I don't believe in fitting clients into a method. The work is real and flexible - whatever is in front of us is what we work with. I tend to be direct, honest, and genuinely engaged.

First sessions are conversational, not clinical. We meet by video, and there’s no script or checklist to get through. I’ll ask about what’s bringing you in, some background, and what you’re hoping might be different, but the point isn’t to complete a form - it’s to start getting a real sense of each other.

If you’ve never done therapy before, that’s completely fine, many of my clients haven’t. You don’t need to have it figured out or know the right way to say it. I ask more than I tell, and I’d rather follow what’s actually on your mind than move through a predetermined agenda.

By the end, you should have a clear feel for whether this is the right fit. Nothing more is expected of you than showing up as you are. I offer a free 15-minute consultation - reach out and let's start there.

You can also find me at mikesmukler.com.