- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- Parenting strategies
- Addiction support
About Michael
Michael Michnya is an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) in New Jersey with 39 years of clinical experience. He focuses on relationship and personal growth issues, helping parents, couples, creative professionals, and individuals through life transitions, addiction recovery, and communication problems.
He helps parents get more cooperation from children while using less effort so family life feels more manageable. He works with couples who want to strengthen their commitment and with creative people looking to remove barriers to artistic work. He also supports people dealing with grief, trauma, stress, anxiety, and substance use concerns.
Michael prefers clients who are ready to try change, willing to follow through between sessions, and open to straightforward communication and occasional risk-taking. He asks people to attend sessions on time, complete agreed-upon tasks, and honestly report what is and isn’t working so progress can be tracked.
He brings practical experience from roles in schools, rehabilitation programs, and community agencies. That background informs his work with parenting challenges, blended family issues, and addiction, and guides his use of structured tools and conversation to address problems.
In sessions he combines Emotionally-Focused Therapy with client-centered and cognitive-behavioral techniques, Gottman-informed relationship work, and mindfulness practices. These methods are used to help people notice patterns, change unhelpful reactions, and build clearer communication.
Over decades of teaching, counseling, program management, and supervision, he has worked with thousands of people. He frames therapy as a collaborative effort to find solutions that fit each person’s life and goals.
Therapeutic approaches and how online sessions work
Michael commonly blends Emotionally-Focused Therapy with client-centered and cognitive-behavioral methods. EFT focuses on identifying and shifting emotional patterns in relationships, which can help when partners or family members get stuck in repeated cycles of hurt or withdrawal. Client-centered work prioritizes the person's perspective and aims to strengthen self-understanding and personal resources through reflective conversation. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at thoughts, behaviors, and practical skills to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and change unhelpful patterns.Deciding which approach to use is collaborative. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they may combine elements from different methods to fit the situation and adjust the plan as work progresses.
Session formats are not listed in the original biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by removing travel time and allowing appointments during breaks or from another accessible location. They also let some people keep sessions shorter or use audio-only if that better suits their bandwidth or comfort with being on camera. Ask about specific session formats when scheduling so arrangements match personal needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
39+ years
Listed in
New Jersey
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does he help with?
He works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and family problems, parenting, grief, trauma, intimacy issues, sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem, career concerns, ADHD, and related topics.
What approach does he use in sessions?
He uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside client-centered work, cognitive-behavioral techniques, Gottman-informed practices, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing depending on the need.
How much experience does he have?
He has 39 years of experience working in schools, rehabs, community agencies, and private practice settings.
What credentials and location apply?
He is an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor - practicing in New Jersey.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with him?
He does not accept international clients at this time.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.