Stephen Kushner

Hello, I look forward to being a partner with you on your journey towards wellness. As we go through this experience, I will be with you every step of the way. I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida (MH 20036) and have had the opportunity to work in different settings that include the following: Wilderness camps, In-school counseling, Crisis Intervention shelters and Psychiatric Hospitals. Most recently I have been working in the Florida state prison system and have done private practice in a group setting. While working in these settings, I have been able to utilize the following treatment approaches on a regular basis: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Reality Therapy, some Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and Motivational Interviewing, just to name a few modalities.

I use a participatory, empowering approach with clients. After each session, the idea is that a client should leave feeling better than when they came in, even if it is just a little bit. Progress is celebrated, no matter how much or how little.

Typically, the first session will consist of completing a bio-psychosocial assessment. This will essentially be the main building block in formulating your treatment plan. As a part of this, I encourage clients to ask questions, especially if they need clarity on something I ask. I also inform clients that if I ask something that he/she is uncomfortable answering, it does not need to be answered at that time. The idea is to have an environment where a client feels comfortable expressing themselves. That starts with the first session and builds gradually from there.