Meet Mitchell West.
Professional Counselor Associate and partner in your growth.
My Therapeutic Approach
I view therapy as a deeply collaborative partnership. I bring an elite clinical foundation, including education from Harvard, and combine it with specialized experience and evidence-based training. You bring the expertise on your own life and experiences. Together, we build the framework necessary for you to move forward independently after our work is done.
My approach is practical, direct, and human. On the clinical front, I rely on only those things that have been proven by time and empirical testing to work, and we work together to ultimately decide the best route for you. On the emotional and experience front, I have my own experience with each of the specialties I cover, which gives me a greater appreciation for the weight you bear and the work it takes to deal with it.
On the you front, I don’t simply sit in silence nodding along; I actively work alongside you, providing tools that challenge you while ensuring you feel completely secure and heard. Outside the clinic, you’ll usually find me out on the mountain trails or working in my garden—embracing the same grit and patience that growth requires inside the therapy room. (Or running. I hate running, and doing what you hate seems to take the most grit and patience.)
My Academic & Professional Background
Work
- Employment: After my undergraduate, I worked for a time as a youth and family case worker in eastern Idaho. After finishing my initial graduate education, I worked for two years in Madras, Oregon as a crisis counselor, helping people in their most desperate moments in the hospital, in the jail, at their homes, and in the office; I also worked as a catch-all mental health counselor when I wasn’t on crisis calls. I briefly worked with Deschutes County Health Services in a forensic role after that, advising the courts on people’s mental states.
- Credentials: I am currently registered with OBLPCT as a Professional Counselor Associate (R-12272).
- Clinical Supervision: I practice under the supervision of two individuals I have found to be most effective for this work: Fred Kane, LPC (C-4962) and Julian Caballo, LPC (C-5993).
Education
- Undergraduate: I began my education while still in high school and initially attended Portland State University. Years later, I finished my Bachelors in Marriage & Family Studies at Brigham Young University – Idaho (2019).
- Graduate: I began my graduate education at Harvard Divinity School (Master of Divinity) before completing a Master of Arts in Chaplaincy at Brigham Young University (2023). I received additional education at University of West Alabama’s Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (2025-2026).
The Right Fit Literally Makes All the Difference.
Research consistently shows that the most important factor in successful therapy is the connection between you and your counselor. If my approach resonates with you, I would love to hear your story. Let’s schedule a brief, no-pressure phone call to see if we are a good match for the work ahead.