Michael is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with Supervisory Designation (LPCC-S) in the state of Ohio, Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapist (DBTC). Michael obtained his master's degree in clinical mental health counseling from Bowling Green State University (BGSU) and is co-owner of his own private practice, The Wellife, LLC, in Canton, Ohio. He has worked and served in the mental health field for the past ten years and has held several positions for executive professional counseling organizations such as president of the East Ohio Counseling Association (EOCA) Ohio Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values on Counseling (OASERVIC) from 2019-2020, the Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Association of Ohio (SAIGE-O) from 2016-2017, and an emerging leader of SAIGE from 2017-2018. Michael has provided over 45+ presentations at national, state, and local venues on several topics including emotion regulation and mood disorders, transdiagnostic therapies, affirmative therapy and pedagogy practices for LGBTQI+ populations, and wellness. He has published on Affirmative Therapy and Wellness and has also been awarded the Professional Leadership state award (2024) and Charles “Chuck” Weaver state award of Ohio (2021) for distinguished service to the profession.