Michael Penkaty, LPC

Michael Penkaty is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Colorado who helps people handle relationship struggles, family conflict, trauma and abuse, and intimacy-related concerns. He also supports people dealing with parenting stress, anger, low self-esteem, depression, and major life changes. He works in a straightforward, respectful way and encourages people to use their own strengths during therapy.

Michael centers sessions on the person in front of him. He listens first and asks practical questions to understand what feels most urgent. Sessions focus on clear goals and small steps people can try between meetings. He emphasizes skills people can use right away to manage strong emotions or repetitive thoughts.

His approach draws on cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy, combined with client-centered pacing and mindfulness practices. That mix helps people notice unhelpful thinking patterns, try different behaviors, and accept difficult feelings while moving toward what matters to them. He also uses emotionally-focused work when relationship or intimacy issues are central.

With about ten years of experience, Michael brings steady clinical familiarity without jargon. He pays attention to cultural and identity issues and will make space to talk about how background affects relationships and stress. The aim is practical progress, not labels.

If someone is unsure where to start, he helps pick a focus and a first skill to try. He understands that beginning therapy takes courage and treats that step as part of the work.

Practical online approaches for relationships and anxiety

Michael commonly uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people spot and test unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. CBT is useful for depression, anxiety, obsessive thinking, and patterns that keep problems repeating.

He also draws on acceptance and commitment therapy, which focuses on noticing difficult feelings and committing to actions that match a person’s values. ACT can help when avoidance or painful emotions get in the way of daily life. Client-centered methods shape the tone of sessions by prioritizing the person's perspective and pacing work to their comfort.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Michael works together with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That collaborative process means approaches can shift as needs change over time.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video allows face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging works well for brief check-ins or reflection between appointments. These options make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into a busy life.