Steven Straley 

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Arizona.

Hello, I’m Steven Straley. I am experienced working with individuals and couples in navigating issues related to depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, abuse, gender identity and expression, family relationships, communication, self-worth, sexuality, and intimacy.

My therapeutic style focuses on building connections, emotional expressiveness, and developing self-worth in my clients. Being our true selves in every aspect of our life, including being open and honest about our feelings in a safe environment, is a prerequisite for healing. Making my clients feel heard, secure, and in control of their therapy is crucial to me. When I started my master’s program, affirming my clients’ truths became my passion in helping couples and individuals work towards healing.

In my experience working with couples, the area of focus in therapy is communication. I use the methods and viewpoint of the Gottman therapy method to determine how partners have honed their communication skills. By spotlighting one another’s aims, values, and emotions, this method aids in improving partner understanding. Through developing intimacy and a sense of collaboration, this therapy aids couples in regaining a sense of safety and connection. Through this therapy, I help couples feel like they can once more face life’s issues together. When working with couples, I also apply Bowen family systems theory to comprehend communication patterns and roles developed in the families of origin of each partner. Couples might next consider what family means to them, as well as what roles and communication styles work best for them. Using this approach can help with things like infidelity, bettering sexual life, addressing sexual addictions and behaviors, increasing intimacy, parenting, communication skills, childhood trauma, gender identity, grief & loss, stress management, managing various roles, and life transitions.

My objective as an individual therapist is to get to know you and to understand your goals for where you want to go and what you want to change. Using that, we will work together to establish goals that match that vision, are appropriate for you and your circumstances, and will result in the change you desire. We will also concentrate on the areas you think are most crucial. The trajectory of your therapy is in your hands. Marriage and family therapy involves a strong emphasis on recognizing clients’ whole complexity, which includes their life experiences, community, ancestry, and religious and spiritual beliefs. These characteristics make you who you are and must be considered for therapy to be effective. My objective is to become knowledgeable about these components and apply them into my strategy.

I am a Licensed Marriage and family Therapist. I have obtained a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate Institute. I also received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State Northridge.

It takes courage to pursue therapy, so I commend you for taking this step.

I was born and raised in California and served in the United States Marine Corps. I moved to Arizona in 2020 to enjoy the sun and warm weather. In my spare time, I like to travel, hike and spend time with family and friends.