About

Stephen Porter

LMHC (MA and RI), LPC-MHSP (TN), MA, MFA

I strive to create a warm and supportive space for clients to unpack their concerns and foster personal growth.

Stephen Porter about stephen porter

a bit about me

training & experience

To nourish a strong therapeutic alliance, I use what’s called a “Person-centered” approach, trusting in the innate tendency and ability of each person to, in the right context, heal and come into wholeness on their own.

My work draws on advanced clinical training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT/EFCT/EFIT), Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Somatic Psychotherapy, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, as well as contemplative spiritual traditions.

If I were to hang my hat on one therapeutic tradition, it would be the Psychodynamic school. The goal of this work is to develop new capacities, self-understanding, and freedom.

A few key underpinnings of the Psychodynamic approach:

  • Our past (especially formative childhood years) informs our present thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
  • Our feelings need to be experienced for us to grow.
  • Our dreams and fantasy life reveal parts of our self that crave understanding and integration.
  • We have unconscious drives which (for understandable reasons) may work against our stated goals, and we carry defenses that keep these drives out of our own awareness.
  • What shows up in the therapeutic relationship (and not just the content of our discussions) can be the main catalyst for lasting therapeutic change.

My personal path of loss and discovery led me to explore various methods of emotional healing and resilience throughout my adult life. These have included spiritual traditions, holistic healing, Jungian psychology, contemplative meditation and mindfulness, creative arts therapies, and formal training in evidence-based modalities of wellness through the discipline of professional counseling and psychotherapy.

As a former talent leader for startups, a former director and actor in film and theater, a student of meditation and contemplative traditions for over two decades, and as a therapist for the last seven years, I bring a varied set of life experience and clinical training to our sessions.

Born and raised in the Northeast US, I have lived in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Nashville.

I currently reside in the South Coast of Massachusetts, and spend most of my free time with my wife and 7-year-old son.

As a licensed counselor in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Tennessee, I work with clients online, as well as in-person at my office in downtown New Bedford, MA.

Clinical Training

  • Master of Arts, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Bradley University
  • Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT/EFTC), Externship & Core Skills training, New Zealand Community for EFT
  • Jungian Psychotherapy Certification, Zur Institute
  • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Brown University Mindfulness Center

Licenses

  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Massachusetts (#10002777)
  • Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Rhode Island (#01724)
  • Licensed Professional Counselor / Mental Health Service Provider (LPC-MHSP), Tennessee (#5798)

Professional Associations

  • American Counseling Association (Member)
  • Tennessee Counseling Association (Member)
  • Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association (Member)
  • International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (Member)

Additional Education

  • Master of Fine Arts, Film Directing, California Institute of the Arts
  • Bachelor of Arts, Theatre Arts, University of Pennsylvania

For more about my clinical orientation and psychotherapy work, please visit my profile page on Psychology Today.

Let’s connect.