Create a Path to Healing
LDS/Christian counseling in Glendale, AZ
BOARDWALK COUNSELING LLC
Stephanie Larsen Mickelsen, LCSW
Steph focuses on assisting older children (8+), teens, and adults in navigating mental health challenges, trauma, relationship dynamics, life transitions, and self-esteem issues. For adults, her expertise extends to parenting, trauma, women's issues, inner child healing, and life changes. With training in attachment-based therapy and EFT, she supports both parents and children. She holds a certificate in Inner Child and Early Attachment Trauma and has experience with twice exceptional (2E) clients. Steph is particularly passionate about helping those who have faced trauma and feels privileged to be part of their healing journey. To ensure a personalized experience, Steph employs a variety of therapeutic approaches, aiming to foster a safe and connected environment in her sessions. She believes that a strong therapeutic relationship is essential for effective healing and progress. Steph is inspired by her clients' dedication and enjoys empowering them to achieve their treatment goals while balancing compassion with motivation. She is deeply committed to the healing process and encourages parental involvement when treating minors, but does not offer co-parenting counseling or address custody matters. Her diverse training includes techniques from ACT, CBT, DBT, Trauma-Focused CBT, CPT, MI, sand tray therapy, play therapy, parent coaching, supportive family therapy, and attachment-based therapy, allowing her to customize her approach for each client. Additionally, she specializes in LDS/Christian counseling, integrating faith into healing journey when appropriate.
Steph holds a BS in psychology from BYU and an MSW from ASU, where she earned for academic achievement and community service. She has extensive experience with children and adolescents through her roles as a mother, volunteer, and professional, receiving recognition for her community service and commitment to helping others. She has also been a guest speaker at events, including churches, colleges, and conferences, and previously worked as a disability advisor and advocate for the state of Arizona. In her leisure time, Steph enjoys reading, writing, traveling, music, cooking, escape rooms, attending shows, and taking walks with her husband. Her greatest passion, however, is her work; she loves what she does and is dedicated to lifelong learning, constantly seeking new modalities and best practices to enhance her practice.
My Therapeutic Philosophy: I believe that a strong rapport between client and therapist is the most important factor in achieving successful outcomes, far outweighing any specific therapeutic modality. In line with my ethical commitment to practice within my scope and expertise, I prioritize ensuring that I am the right fit for your unique needs. If it becomes clear that we are not the ideal match, I will be transparent with you and provide referrals to ensure you find the support and clinical expertise that best serves your journey toward healing.
Attendance Policy: To ensure the highest quality of care, all initial assessments for minors are conducted in-person. Subsequent sessions for minors are held exclusively in-person; telehealth is provided only in rare circumstances at the clinician’s discretion, based on factors such as age, maturity, clinical progress, and safety. Appointments for minors are scheduled during school hours. While this requires a temporary adjustment to academic schedules, Steph views therapy as a vital, short-term investment that yields significant, lifelong benefits for your child’s emotional well-being and academic success. We find that schools are generally supportive of this commitment, and we are happy to provide documentation to verify attendance. As stability is established, we aim to transition to bi-weekly sessions to further minimize academic disruption. Sessions are 45–55 minutes in duration at a rate of $150. For your convenience, Steph accepts several insurance providers through our billing partner, Headway. If we are out-of-network, a superbill can be provided for your insurance reimbursement. Please note that a $150 fee applies for no-shows or cancellations made after 9:00 AM on the business day preceding your appointment.
Session Logistics and Billing Information: Each session lasts 45–55 minutes at a rate of $150. For those paying out-of-pocket, bishop and clergy pay is accepted at the cash rate price of $150. Headway manages insurance billing. Once your first appointment is scheduled, Headway will email you with details regarding your benefits. Steph is currently in-network with Aetna, Providence Behavioral Health, Cigna, UHC/Optum/Oscar/Oxford, Carelon, Curative, and BCBS. If I am not a provider for your specific insurance plan, I can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance company for potential out-of-network reimbursement; please contact your provider directly to verify these benefits. Please note that a $150 fee is charged for no-shows or late cancellations. To avoid this fee, cancellations must be submitted through the patient portal by 9:00 AM on the business day preceding your scheduled appointment.
