About Michael
Michael Knapik is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with 18 years in mental health work. He draws on practical therapies to help people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, anger, and depression. He aims to help people notice their strengths and use them in everyday life.
Michael's style is straightforward and grounded. He combines approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical behavior skills, and client-centered listening.
Background and approach
He uses these methods to help people change unhelpful habits, manage strong emotions, and rebuild meaning after loss. Before entering counseling, he worked for many years as a professional journalist, so he values clear communication and careful listening. He also spent time as a hospice volunteer, which informs his work with end-of-life concerns, caregiver stress, and grief.
That background shapes how he talks about loss and meaning with people. Sessions typically focus on practical tools and small steps that fit into a person’s daily routine. Michael works with mood disorders, process and substance addictions, panic and sleep problems, intimacy-related concerns, and issues around self-esteem and purpose.
He places special attention on pacing work so it feels manageable. He practices in Vermont and offers services using several online formats. Sessions are in English.
He encourages people to approach therapy with curiosity and compassion for themselves, starting with small changes and clear goals.
Therapy approaches and how they work online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people clarify what matters to them and take small, values-based steps. It supports coping with anxiety, avoidance, and life changes by teaching simple actions tied to personal goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through clear exercises and practice, which can reduce panic, low mood, and sleep disruptions when applied consistently.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will listen to each person's goals and try methods that fit their needs and preferences. That means trying a skill for several sessions, checking how it feels, and adjusting together to find what helps most.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls let people work face to face from another location. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can be easier during a busy day. Live chat or text messaging can be useful for brief check-ins, homework, or when typing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or treatment schedules while still using ACT and CBT skills in real life.
Questions people ask
What concerns does he help with?
What is his therapeutic style like?
How long has he worked in mental health?
Where is he licensed and based?
Which languages are offered for sessions?
What session formats are available?
How is cost handled for sessions?
How do I begin working with him?
What this counselor works with
Most often
Also listed
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 18 years
- Licensed
- Virginia, Vermont
- Languages
- English