Michael Hazeltine, MA, LPC, Clinical Supervisor

Phone: 616-426-9034, ext. 609
Email: mhazeltine@secondstorycounseling.com

MA Counseling - Colorado Christian University

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer." - Rainer Maria Rilke

In some ways, my story has been a gradual process of learning to love "all that is unsolved in my heart" as Rilke says. I know from experience that healing and growth are often the result of a deep and meaningful connection with another person. When I was in my early 20s I went through an extended period of confusion, turmoil, and darkness. I felt lost and hopeless. I was stuck. Paralyzed. Unable to move forward. I felt like I was in free-fall, spiraling down into some dark abyss from which I was sure I would never return. When I look back on that season of my life - even though it was incredibly bleak - the thing that stands out to me now is not the darkness or loneliness, but the presence of a wise, compassionate, trustworthy mentor who let me sit in his office and pour out my angst while he listened, and nodded, and occasionally smiled. He didn't offer many solutions to my problems, or answers to my soul-wrenching questions. Instead, he gave me permission to keep asking them. I think I kept going to see him because the parts of me that were scared, and angry, and lonely, and confused, and miserable wanted to be seen, and known, and loved. He made room for all of me to show up, and he helped me to not give up. That experience is a big part of why I do what I do - and why I love what I do.

When I'm not sitting in awe at the beauty and courage and suffering of my clients, you can find me listening to an audiobook or podcast, playing a game, playing music, mountain biking, watching hockey, or playing with my kids. I like to spend time outside with my favorite people - my wife and kids. My perfect day includes fancy coffee, good friends, rich conversation, the great outdoors, and Thai food.

My Approach

I work primarily from a person-centered perspective that honors each person's journey as sacred and unique. I will approach your story with curiosity and compassion, and try to create a space where you are free to be yourself without fear of judgement or shame. I take a holistic approach to counseling that blends person-centered therapy with elements of mindfulness and CBT. I am also fully trained in EMDR therapy, which I use primarily to help people overcome past wounds and traumas. I tend to gravitate towards existential themes in therapy to help clients find and create meaning in their lives – and to help them connect with a sense of purpose or belonging. I approach spiritual themes with particular sensitivity to the unique perspectives and experiences of each person. Your individual beliefs and practices will be honored and can be incorporated into our sessions if it would be beneficial to do so. Perhaps the most significant thing I can offer you is my genuine, attentive presence in the midst of your sorrows, struggles, and joys.

What you can expect

Because each person's story is so unique, I rarely have a precise roadmap of exactly how therapy is going to play out before we begin. I find that I work best when I am responding and interacting with what is happening in the room as it naturally and organically unfolds. That being said, you can be sure that I will approach your story with a sense of genuine compassion and curiosity. I will offer acceptance and make space for you to share deeply and authentically. I won't give you advice or tell you how to live your life - and I don't tend to give a lot of homework, except when I'm working with couples.

If we are working on trauma, you can expect that we will be doing EMDR, which is an effective psychotherapy specifically designed for that purpose.

You can expect therapy to be hard work. The work is deep and difficult and sometimes (painfully) slow. But if you are ready to take a courageous a step towards healing and wholeness, I would be honored to accompany you.

"Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what [people] have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it." - Gregory J. Boyle