Sean Madigan Hoen, Clinical Mental Health Intern

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Counseling Philosophy 

I view the therapeutic  relationship as a creative enterprise between a counselor and client;  one in which we, together, build an alliance that will allow us to explore and actualize the truest and wisest aspects of oneself. Irwin Yalom prefers the term “fellow travelers” to “counselor/client,” and I  feel similarly about the dynamic I hope to engage with those I work  with. If we are able to inhabit a space in which we can bring truth and  light to the feelings and obstacles that impede growth, then progress  and healing are not only possible but inevitable. It is my commitment to  establish and nurture that space in a way that is unique to each client  and their needs.  

Counseling Orientation 

In  addition to having been trained in a number of short-term CBT and  Solution-Focused interventions, I am immersed in an ongoing study of  Gestalt techniques that encourage growth in the personality by bringing  past experiences and patterns into a present-tense awareness. This  includes a therapeutic sensitivity to somatic and physiological  expressions as they relate to our emotional realities. I have also  undertaken long-term informal studies in Jungian Analysis and, when it  suits a client’s journey, enjoy exploring manifestations of the  subconscious as they appear in behavioral and relationship patterns. I  believe expression to be the antidote to “stuck” or repetitive feelings, and that it’s crucial for clients to experience a therapeutic  environment in which they are free feel deeply and at their own pace. Everything I do, however, is couched in a Person-Centered approach that seeks the actualization of the client’s strengths and well-being as our  primary purpose.  

Areas of Specialty 

I work with individuals struggling with long and short-term trauma, grief, addiction, depression, anxiety, family-of-origin issues, psychosomatic discomfort, and issues of sexuality. I work with men and women of all ages. I have also been sought for counsel by artists seeking to balance  their creative practice and the maintenance of work and/or family life.   

Qualifications 

I graduated with honors with a Bachelors in Psychology from Madonna University and hold a  Masters in Fine Art from Columbia University in The City of New York, where I was a Teaching Fellow. I am completing my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Wayne State University. Prior to working as a therapist, I was a professor of Creative Writing and Literature for over ten years, having taught at Columbia University and Rutgers University. As a writer, my work has been widely published. I am also a former touring and recording musician. My experience in the arts informs my clinical practice both directly and indirectly.