Namaste Family Services started with a vision of an organization that serves families by helping them to overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams. This is accomplished by offering a multitude of mental health and educational services in an environment that honors diversity, compassion, professionalism, and healing. Namaste Family Services was founded by Michael Patterson. Michael is a clinical social worker with over twenty-two years experience in the field of psychotherapy. Although Michael has worked in a wide variety of mental health settings, he has always had a dream of building an organization that offered evidenced based treatment while maintaining the basic tenets of social work. We do not look at an individual as a problem to be fixed, but a person with strengths and talents that may not yet be known or not used to their fullest potential; or to put it another way: a strength based, solution focused approach that uses evidenced based treatment. Namaste Family Services is based out of Chelsea Michigan and serves Western Washtenaw and Jackson County. Michael graduated from the University of Michigan in 1992 with a Masters in Social Work. He has over 22 years experience as a licensed psychotherapist. Michaels initial experience in the field of social work was volunteering at a community crisis center in 1988 called SOS, located in Ypsilanti Michigan. Michael helped individuals and families with crisis intervention, homelessness, and extreme poverty. This experience as a volunteer was the catalyst for Michael leaving a high paying career in marketing and returning to school to obtain his MSW. Michaels interests turned to working with families, couples and their children. Michael soon found out that he has a talent with connecting with older children and teens. Michaels style of therapy allows him to be creative in helping his clients discover who they really are and to exploit hidden strengths.
