Mike holds licenses as a Mental Health and
Alcohol and Drug Counselor through the State of Nebraska. He
obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Social Work in 1982, and began
his career as a case manager for Community Alliance Inc. in
Omaha, which is an agency serving the chronically mentally ill
population.
Mike worked as a drug and alcohol counselor
at Equilibria Medical Center from 1984 through 1987, providing
outpatient counseling to persons addicted to painkillers. He
obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration in 1987, and
worked for a short period as a supervisor of social work in a
hospital setting. He served as a case manager supervisor at NOVA
Therapeutic Community from 1991-2002, which is a residential
substance abuse treatment center in Omaha. In 1999, Mike set a
personal goal of becoming a Professional Mental Health
Counselor, and obtained his Master’s Degree in Guidance and
Counseling in May of 2002. In September of 2002 he accepted a
position as both a mental health and substance abuse counselor
with Heartland Family Service, serving in that capacity until
February of 2008, at which time he accepted a full time position
as program therapist at Lasting Hope Recovery Center.
Additionally, Mike has been a member of the adjunct faculty of
Metropolitan Community College, teaching courses in the Human
Services Division on the North Metro Campus.
Mike’s counseling approach was deeply
influenced by his experience at NOVA, and their philosophy that
pathological behavior including chemical dependency, obesity,
psychosis, neurosis, and character disorder is developed as a
survival adaptation in response to unhealthy influences and
environments; that pathological behavior is a result of a self
written life script and one that can be rewritten if we chose;
that some of our beliefs about the world, ourselves and others
are based on distorted perceptions, lack of information, or
misinformation and that we can make a choice to become free
autonomous individuals.
Mike would like to join you on your journey
to personal wellness. His passion is working with both
individuals and couples seeking personal growth and autonomy. He
is also interested in establishing a personal growth group for
men, and remains committed to assisting individuals recovering
from addiction, or coping with serious debilitating illness.
Along those lines, Mike has personal experience as a cancer
survivor. He considers his Christian faith as the major
contributing factor in his recovery.
Mike lives with his wife, Jane,
and their border collie black lab mix “Casey” in Papillion, NE.
He has two grown children, Kevin of Denver, Colo., and Natalie
of Ralston, NE. He also has an extended family of Jane’s son,
Chad, his wife Melissa and their two sons, Jake and Joey, all of
Papillion. Jane and Mike enjoy biking, exercising, and spending
quality time with each other, and their family and friends.
Education
- B. A. Social Work
- M. S. Public Administration
- M. S. Guidance and Counseling
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Certifications
- Licensed Alcohol and Drug Addictions Counselor
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