About

Michael Ferraro, Psychotherapist

michael-ferraro-dallas-texas-home-micheal-ferraro

I hold the following credentials from the State of Texas:

  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
  • Licensed Professional Counselor
  • Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor

My education, training and experience allow me to provide services to couples, individuals and families. It also allows me to treat substance abuse and addiction issues. My location is convenient to most of the Dallas metropolitan area.

My mission is to help you find clarity, insight and wisdom in your life.

Clarity is about seeing your reality the way it is, not the way you want it to be and not the way you think it should be. This requires looking at evidence and facts, not opinions and assumptions.

Insight is coming to an understanding of how pieces of your life fit together. It’s about connecting the dots between past experiences and the present day. It’s about seeing both the big picture and the small picture of how you arrived to where you are right now.

Wisdom is deciding what to do. We will identify and evaluate your most important needs. We will use the perspective of putting your best interest first. This is not selfish. It simply means doing what is right for you, which makes you a better person.

My style comes from a variety of sources but is mostly experiential. This means I will draw out emotions from you and together we will explore and process them in the present moment.

I provide a calm, safe space for healing and personal growth. I will join with you to explore, understand and take action to get the life you want to live.

If you feel stuck or lost, I hear you and you are not alone.

Perhaps you are overwhelmed right now. You may be feeling: 

  • Frustrated about why things aren't working
  • Scared about whether problems can be resolved
  • Trapped with no good options
  • Sad that your life hasn't turned out the way you want
  • Angry that your partner doesn't understand you anymore

There is hope and it can get better.

Here’s more about my background:

I received a Master of Science in Counseling degree from Southern Methodist University here in Dallas. Prior to that I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business at Florida State University in Tallahassee. 

I was a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for five years in Collin County. CASA is appointed as a special legal guardian of children in the Texas foster care system. In this role, I was responsible for making sure the best interests of the children were being addressed. This included court reports and testimony, child welfare evaluation and parental counseling. I was selected as the CASA Of The Year in 2012.

I have worked at two area psychiatric hospitals providing inpatient group and individual counseling to patients. My work was in a psychiatric unit, a dual diagnosis unit and an active duty military unit. Dual diagnosis is a patient with both a psychiatric issue and a substance abuse or addiction problem. My work in the military unit gave me experience in dealing with PTSD, substance abuse and sexual assault in the military culture.

I serve on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Meditation Center in Richardson. I have been on the Board for six years and I hold the office of President.

Counseling is my second career by choice. I was an executive in the lodging industry and I have a great deal of experience in a corporate setting.

I have lived in Dallas for over 30 years. I am in a long term, peaceful marriage and I have three great children.

I belong to the following organizations:

  • American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Relational Therapists of Dallas
  • American Psychological Association
  • American Counseling Association
  • Texas Counseling Association
  • Texas Association of Addiction Professionals
  • National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors

Let’s discover how I can help.

Reach out to get a phone consultation. During our call you can share your need for counseling and ask any questions you may have. I will tell you how I can help and we can decide if there is a good fit.