Steven Kleinman MFT Intern

I believe that some of the most meaningful change happens through connection. When we are struggling, it can be difficult to see ourselves or our relationships clearly. We may become focused on what is going wrong, lose sight of our strengths, or feel stuck in patterns that seem impossible to change. Therapy can offer a different perspective: a space to slow down, understand what is happening beneath the surface, and begin imagining new ways of relating to ourselves and the people we care about.

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Before becoming a therapist, I worked as a college professor and administrator. In that work, I became increasingly aware that people’s struggles rarely exist in isolation. Students brought their families, relationships, responsibilities, identities, and life experiences into the classroom with them. I became interested in how the stories we tell about ourselves can either constrain us or help us understand where we have come from and where we want to go. That curiosity eventually led me to couple and family therapy.

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I work with individuals, adolescents, couples, and families, with a particular interest in supporting couples with children, new parents, newly married couples, men navigating fatherhood, and parents and adult children experiencing distance or estrangement. I am especially drawn to working with people facing major life changes who know something needs to shift but are not yet sure what moving forward looks like. As a husband and father myself, I understand how easily the demands of work, parenting, stress, and everyday life can affect even deeply caring relationships.

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My approach is systemic, collaborative, and grounded in curiosity. Rather than viewing one person as the problem, I am interested in understanding the relationships, patterns, stories, and larger systems surrounding what brings you to therapy. I believe people are generally doing the best they can within the circumstances they have been given. Together, we can identify what is already working, examine patterns that may no longer be serving you, and create space for meaningful change. I am particularly interested in Narrative and Structural approaches, the Gottman Method, DBT, culturally attuned therapy, feminist perspectives, and continuing to develop my knowledge of EMDR.

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Outside of therapy, I am an artist and enjoy reading and writing poetry, gardening, building furniture, bicycling, and exercising. Sustainability and imagining ways to build healthier communities are important to me, as is spending time with my wife and daughter.