A Different Path
Therapy that doesn’t feel like therapy
I'm Parke
I’m a therapist who works mainly with stressed and anxious guys. Just everyday guys.
I took a different route to becoming a therapist. I partied hard in high school and college, then after graduation landed in the corporate world working in sales. I quickly realized I didn’t enjoy selling people things they didn’t really need. Around that time, I began dealing with my own struggles—social anxiety, work stress, and a general sense of being overwhelmed. Looking for relief, I got into philosophy, meditation, psychology, exercise, and breathing practices.
I’m oddly grateful for those challenges—and for that former life. I think those experiences help me offer something a little different in the therapy world.
I bring a unique perspective to working with men dealing with anxiety, stress, or a general sense of dissatisfaction because I’ve been there. I’m still there sometimes. But over time, I’ve built my own playbook for navigating these struggles—and that’s exactly what I help clients do.
On the personal side, I’m into a lot of things: sports (especially Orioles baseball), history, being outdoors, and Eastern philosophy. I’m a big music fan—John Prine, Van Morrison, and the Grateful Dead are staples. My favorite book is An Island to Oneself, and my favorite movie is Castaway. My wife finds it slightly concerning that both are about being alone on an island. She’s not wrong.
Despite that, I’m happily married with two kids, a boxer named Poppy, and a morbidly obese (we’re working on it) cat named Wilson. And if you’re wondering—I’m a child of the late ’80s and ’90s, currently 42 years old.
I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor
I graduated from Randolph-Macon College with a degree in Sociology and earned my Master’s in Mental Health & Rehab Counseling from VCU. I’m always reading, learning, and deepening my understanding of this work because I genuinely love what I do.
Clients often describe my approach as laid-back, authentic, and invested. When I work with someone, it feels like we’re in it together.
My Therapy Approach for Anxiety, Stress and More
Here’s something I’ve learned: if you struggle with anxiety, it’s usually chronic. You can’t breathe it away, healthy-eat it away, or out-exercise it. Trust me, I’ve tried.
Those things help, but they’re not the full answer. What’s needed is a shift—a new way of relating to your pain instead of avoiding it or letting it run the show.
I use a blend of lifestyle changes and an approach called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It’s a framework for learning how to accept what you can’t change, take action on what you can, and develop the wisdom to know the difference.
ACT isn’t just talk therapy. It’s “do” therapy. As the saying goes, to change your life, you have to start changing your life. I can’t make the changes for you—but I’ll be like your boxing corner man, helping you build, test, and refine your personal game plan so you can find relief and enjoy life again.
ACT is a transdiagnostic approach, meaning it can work with almost anything. I’ve worked with people of all ages and backgrounds, facing a wide range of challenges. These days, I mostly work with men—from high schoolers to guys in their 50s and 60s—who are dealing with stress, anxiety, lack of purpose, loneliness, or just feeling stuck.