About
Grow. Repair. Live More Fully.
Therapy Designed for Men
My name is Michael Atkinson, MA, LPCC. I’m a board certified Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who is proudly and passionately dedicated to men’s mental health.
My mission is to make therapy work better for men, to make it “more of a guy thing”, more approachable, more engaging, and more empowering for men.
Designed for Men—From the Start
Historically, therapy has not always felt overly inviting for men. The common belief is that men possess a distinct set of strengths and natural patterns that can feel out of alignment with the therapy process. Natural strengths, like self-sufficiency, problem-solving, and favoring logic over emotional expression can sometimes make it harder for guys to slow down and look inward—essentials for effective therapy and getting unstuck.
However, when these same strengths and patterns are honored, supported, and expanded, they can become powerful tools for building awareness, responding more effectively to challenges, and creating real, lasting change.
A Focus on Living More Fully
Mental health touches everything—how you think, how you show up, and how you relate to yourself and the important people and activities in your life. Therefore, the work we do together is always grounded in the reality that therapy is designed to help you actively engage your mental health so you can live more fully—as an individual, partner, father, friend, coworker, and all the different ways you show up in your life.
My History Working with Men
Supporting the Unique Needs of Men: Since 2020, I have worked as an outpatient mental health therapist at Ellie Mental Health (now Sagent Behavioral Health) in Edina, Minnesota. My primary focus is supporting adult men navigate a range of mental health concerns, including, but not limited to, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship challenges, self-esteem concerns, burnout, and major life transitions.
My daily focus working with male clients is grounded in the research and work of leaders in clinical and male psychology, including Michael Addis, Ronald Levant, William Pollack, Terrence Real, and David Wexler. It is also deeply influenced by thousands of hours working with clients, listening to their feedback, and learning from their experiences. Through this foundation, I believe men can better engage their mental health to grow, repair, and live more fully.
Serving a Diverse Range of Men: From 2019 to 2020, as part of my master’s program in Counseling and Psychological Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, I completed a dual practicum at the Face It Foundation and Associated Clinic of Psychology. These experiences together allowed me to work with male clients from a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures, ages, life circumstances, and mental health concerns. This work included providing community-based mental health services, often requiring in-home visits due to the severity and persistence of mental health challenges. During this experience, I developed a front-line awareness of how deeply mental health challenges can impact men and their daily lives.
Entering Men’s Mental Health: In 2017, I began working with men at the Face It Foundation in Shorewood, MN, a nonprofit organization that provides free group support and services to men with depression. Here I facilitated support groups, trained under the executive director, and developed and provided trainings to other facilitators. I also developed a deep appreciation for how a guy-friendly space empowers men to open up, express themselves, and share what they’ve been carrying. Today, I continue to volunteer and stay actively involved with this organization.
Pre-Therapist: Before entering the mental health field in 2017, I spent two decades in communications as a writer and creative director. That experience gave me a strong understanding of the pressures many men (and women) carry in their work and careers. Work is often closely tied to identity, purpose, and self-worth. When something feels off professionally, it rarely stays contained. It can affect confidence, mood, relationships, and overall well-being.
What Clients Say:
“How we live our days is how we live our lives.”
— Annie Dillard