Rell Spickerman, LMSW

Rell Spickerman brings a long career to his counseling work. He combines nearly four decades of helping people as a mental health counselor with many years serving as a parish pastor. He holds an LMSW, and he draws on those life and professional experiences to help people facing major life transitions and relationship struggles.

He focuses on concrete, practical steps rather than abstract theory. Sessions often center on problem solving, building skills, and setting achievable goals. He aims to be a guide by the side, not a sage on a stage, and uses humor and steady support to lower resistance to change.

Rell works with people on a wide range of concerns, including grief, depression, anxiety, stress, addictions, and relationship issues. He also helps with career planning, coping with life changes, parenting concerns, and challenges related to identity and intimacy. He has particular familiarity with LGBT issues and with end-of-life and bereavement support from hospice chaplain work.

His approach blends practical therapies such as cognitive behavioral strategies and solution-focused work with narrative methods that help people reframe their stories. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas inform how he helps people live by their values while managing difficult thoughts and feelings.

Rell emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental stance. He invites clients to take manageable risks and to try small experiments between sessions. People considering help in Michigan can expect straightforward conversation and down-to-earth guidance aimed at real-life improvements.

Approaches that translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and practice actions that align with those values while making space for difficult thoughts and feelings. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and testing new behaviors through small experiments and homework tasks; it often helps with anxiety, depression, anger, and stress. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a supportive, nonjudgmental relationship where the therapist listens and reflects so the person can find their own solutions.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals and preferences, try out methods, and adjust over time. That conversation helps decide whether ACT, CBT, narrative techniques, or solution-focused work will be the best fit for a client's situation.

Confirm available session formats before booking to know how therapy will be delivered. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life by removing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, and making scheduling across different days simpler. Many people find this flexibility helps maintain regular progress while balancing work, caregiving, and other responsibilities.