During his 40s, however, he faced several challenges that would spark intense introspection. He got sober, came out of the closet and recalled incest at the hands of his father that had been blocked from active memory. His personal and professional lives were transformed.

"Dr. Mike" now enjoys sharing his skills, knowledge, and wisdom in his current role as a mental health therapist and through his writings, workshops, and presentations. Dr. Mike is a seasoned veteran of life. Keenly aware of the renewal that is possible when one frees the mind, relaxes the will, and cultivates the inner spirit, he understands from the inside out what it's like to recover from life's tragedies. His book, Snakes in My Dreams: A Mental Health Therapist's Odyssey from Hardship to Healer, poignantly conveys the truth he feels compelled to share "before my time is up." To purchase the book, click here.

Dr. Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master of Science degree in Special Education from Canisius College. He earned his doctoral degree with distinction in Special Education Administration and a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, both from Gallaudet University. An accomplished American Sign Language interpreter, Dr. Mike worked for 25 years at Gallaudet before launching his current career as counselor, writer, trainer and specialist in the treatment of trauma and post-traumatic stress.

Dr. Mike is a Licensed Professional Counselor (Virginia) and he holds certification from the National Board for Certified Counselors. He was certified as a clinical hypnotherapist by the National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists in 2000. In 2009 he received advanced certifications as a trainer of Eye Movement Integration™, Ericksonian Hypnotherapy, and Neuro Linguistic Programming from the American Hypnosis Training Academy.

Dr. Mike is an experienced speaker and trainer who has made hundreds of presentations at conferences sponsored by organizations such as the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf, the World Federation of the Deaf, the Conference of Educational Administrators Serving the Deaf, the International Congress on Education of the Deaf, the International Conference on Male Sexual Victimization, the Annual Conference of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, and The Biannual Conference of the American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association.

Prior to establishing Phoenix Counseling & Hypnotherapy in Alexandria, Virginia, in 2001, Dr. Mike held positions as a teacher, principal, graduate professor, researcher and university administrator. Dr. Mike is also an Equity actor who has performed off Broadway in New York and at the Kennedy Center and Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Mike now intends to begin devoting more of his time and energies to speaking out about incest and sexual abuse and the methods he has found to help survivors of all sorts heal from the abuse they have suffered from priests, coaches, strangers, family members or friends. He is anticipating that he will be more involved in activities that will gradually take time away from direct client service. He will be more involved in training other mental health professionals, presenting at conferences and speaking publicly about incest and sexual abuse. A memoir of his life – Snakes in My Dreams: A Mental Health Therapist's Odyssey from Hardship to Healer – is now in print. To purchase the book, click here.