WE’RE HIRING!
Come join our team of 2000+ clinicians
FEATURED ARTICLE
A comprehensive guide to starting therapy
Book my first session
96% of clients feel supported and understood by their therapist
Get expert medication support, tailored to you
Check my copay estimate
Sessions cost $17 on average with insurance
61 licensed therapists & providers in Michigan. Available as soon as today, in person and online
Our providers work with individuals, couples, families, & teens for anxiety, depression, grief, & more
We accept UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, BCBS Plans, Humana, Aetna, & many more. Self-pay options available, no membership fees
94% of patients feel truly understood by their provider. 3 out of 4 see improvement in depression & anxiety symptoms within 3 months
Discover how starting premarital counseling can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
As a person who has dealt with frustrating circumstances and the feeling of being overwhelmed by many of life's obstacles I unders...
About
As a person who has dealt with frustrating circumstances and the feeling of being overwhelmed by many of life's obstacles I understand the challenge of getting through those moments with your sanity and life values intact.
My name is Joseph and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Master's of Arts degree in Community Counseling. I have several years of experience working with diverse populations within the mental health care setting. I work with clients who are experiencing overwhelming stress and frustration with specific life stressors within their environments and who are seeking a change in the way they interact with that environment.
I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy along with other evidence-based therapeutic techniques to assist clients with practical skills they can apply to challenging life circumstances.
I understand how overwhelming life can be with multiple factors influencing your life, and the need to address concerns in a way that promotes your overall well-being. I would appreciate exploring these concerns with you and finding ways to successfully manage them while also nurturing and enjoying the important aspects of your life.
Education and training
View more therapists in Grand Rapids
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 40 years of experience in the fields of mental health and social work....
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 40 years of experience in the fields of mental health and social work.
Marcy Bristol is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 40 years of experience in mental health and medical social work. She has worked extensively with individuals facing adjustment to chronic illness, grief, loss, and bereavement as well as depression and anxiety disorders. Marcy focuses on helping clients understand and strengthen the physical and emotional components of their lives to create a healthy balance to face any challenges.
Marcy received her Master’s in Social Work from Loyola University of Chicago. She takes a collaborative, strength-based, person-centered approach, using cognitive behavioral and solution-focused therapies to meet the specific needs of each client.
Building trust and respect between the therapist and the client is essential for achieving positive outcomes in therapy.
Marcy provides a warm, compassionate, and trusting environment, always keeping in mind that everyone is unique and the treatment approach will be tailored to them as an individual. Schedule an appointment today!
As a non-judgmental person, my passion is to assist my clients in improving their lives, changing their thought processes, and res...
As a non-judgmental person, my passion is to assist my clients in improving their lives, changing their thought processes, and restoring calm and balance to their worlds.
Joe Jaster is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 25 years of experience. He specializes in therapy for substance abuse, depression, anxiety, anger management, stress, and relationship issues for adults and teens, and has significant experience counseling adolescents and adults in substance abuse, usage, and addiction. He has a background in both individual and group counseling and has worked with diverse clientele. Joe completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Detroit and a Master of Arts in Guidance & Counseling from Oakland University.
Joe believes that it’s important to focus on the causes of the issues that his clients face, as well as the everyday external complications that impact their lives. Joe sees great value in exploring Relapse, Recovery, and Relationships with his clients, which are three major components of substance abuse.
Joe believes in helping his clients work through their concerns and remember that mental health issues affect not only the individual, but also those involved in their life. Schedule an appointment with Joe today.
I am a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) committed to providing compassionate, culturally responsive care that honors the full ...
I am a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) committed to providing compassionate, culturally responsive care that honors the full complexity of your lived experience.
I specialize in using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients navigate anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, relationship challenges, and life transitions.
My approach is collaborative and practical, blending evidence-based strategies with genuine connection. Together, we will build skills to manage distress, shift unhelpful thought patterns, and create meaningful, lasting change.
I believe therapy should be a space where you don’t have to shrink or codeswitch—where your identity is affirmed and your voice matters. Whether you're working through daily stressors or deeper emotional wounds, I aim to support you with empathy, honesty, and tools you can actually use in your everyday life.
I draw from years of working at the intersection of mental health, education, and workforce development to help clients move forwa...
I draw from years of working at the intersection of mental health, education, and workforce development to help clients move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
I'm a licensed professional counselor dedicated to helping professionals navigate leadership pressures, career transitions, identity development, and emotional well-being. My background spans workforce development, talent strategy, and mental health practice. I've led statewide initiatives and built programs to strengthen mental health and professional readiness. This gives me deep understanding of how workplace stress, organizational dynamics, and personal expectations shape daily life. I work primarily with professionals navigating demanding careers or transitions—many facing burnout, stress, or uncertainty about their next steps.
My approach blends reflective work with concrete tools. I help clients explore identity, challenge limiting beliefs, strengthen emotional regulation, and reconnect with purpose using CBT, Strengths-Based Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy. Therapy is a judgment-free space where you can be honest and gain strategies to move through challenges with clarity.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or ready for something to shift, you're not alone and I'm here to help. I meet you with authenticity and compassion, helping you process what you're carrying, heal from the past, and build confidence to move forward with clarity. Together, we can explore what's possible and help you toward the life you want to live.
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
Not ready to book? Contact me
Look for a confirmation email in your inbox shortly. We'll help find you a provider and guide you through everything you should know about starting care at Thriveworks.
No membership fees or subscriptions
Evening and weekend sessions
Award-winning therapy & psychiatry
What support are you seeking?
You acknowledge that by submitting this form, you are providing what may be considered “sensitive data” and consent to Thriveworks Privacy Policy & Terms. By submitting this information, you consent to receive communication from Thriveworks about our services via automatic calls, artificial or pre-recorded messages, or texts at the phone number provided, or by email at the address provided. You have the option to opt out of communications.
We will contact you with availability updates based on the preferences you provided for up to six months.
Premarital counseling is a type of therapy that helps couples prepare for and build a happy, successful marriage. Premarital therapists at Thriveworks in Grand Rapids, MI can help couples develop essential communication skills, identify potential conflict areas, and learn how to manage their specific relationship issues.
When you and your partner begin premarital counseling, your counselor will want to get to know you both as well as your relationship. In order to accomplish this, they will ask questions around the following:
If there is a particular area that they feel needs to be explored further (for example, you note that you and your partner have very different spending habits and views on money), they’ll guide the conversation in the given direction.
Premarital counseling at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and through Online therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you and your partner.
Generally speaking, Thriveworks premarital counseling in Grand Rapids typically lasts for 8-10 weeks. This, however, can vary depending on the counselor’s approach as well as the clients’ preferences and needs. For example, some couples might request additional sessions to work through problem areas that they’ve identified in their relationship pre-wedding.
In all seriousness, all of the planning, decision making, and compromises that go into planning the big day pale in comparison to the much more serious and numerous considerations just around the bend. Will you both work when you have kids? Will you have kids? Whose parents will you live near? What kind of life do you want to see for yourselves in five, ten, fifty years?
The above questions are just the tip of the iceberg. What you’re about to enter into is potentially the single-most transformative relationship of either of your lives, so why not make sure that all of these invested emotions and plans are all pointed towards the same thing: mutual marital bliss. Reach out to Thriveworks Grand Rapids for help.
“Need” might be too strong of a word (unless, of course, your officiator or state requires it), but a better way to put it is that getting premarital counseling is a great idea.
Many people tend to tie the knot when they’ve been together for exactly enough time to come to the conclusion that they’d rather not spend their time or romantic emotions and affection with anyone else. This blissful period also happens to be the best time for the two of you to sit down and talk human-to-human about who you are and what you expect from your future. It’s way more difficult to discuss these things in a few years, when communication patterns and unsettled scores have set in, and you’ve grown hardened to a certain behavior or personality trait. Just ask any married person (or a divorcee, for that matter), and they’ll back me up on this.
Also, if things are “just peachy” between you two at the moment, you have no idea what either of you is like when major, life-altering stresses and traumas come along. You may have experienced hard times personally, but the game is much different when you have more than just yourself to consider. At Thriveworks Grand Rapids premarital counseling, we’ll go over all of that and more. Now is the time to talk about your varying perspectives and the challenges just around the bend — which are many, but totally surmountable with some preemptive groundwork and coaching.
Let’s say you or your significant other have some apprehensions about getting married. Perfectly normal. Possibly even more normal than having zero concerns whatsoever. Seeing a premarital counselor is the perfect time to examine and unpack each of these concerns to see what’s going on and what can be done about them.
Some potential concerns include:
When you meet with one of the professional therapists at Thriveworks Grand Rapids for premarital counseling, you’ll have ample opportunity to discuss all of these things and more in a judgment-free environment with an objective third party to keep the conversation moving in a positive direction.
Some people think they’re saving money by skipping the premarital counseling in Grand Rapids and just jumping headfirst into a marriage, when in reality, they’re setting themselves up for thousands of dollars and years’ worth of trouble.
For a relatively small investment in counseling, you’ll potentially save yourself from paying a divorce lawyer or losing half of your assets to a disgruntled ex-spouse. The professionals at Thriveworks Grand Rapids, Forest Hills Premarital Counseling have worked with a variety of couples from all walks of life. Reach out to us today for help. We offer evening and weekend sessions, accept most major insurances, provide same-week appointments, and offer additional benefits.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Grand Rapids is located near Kenmoor Avenue Southeast and Cascade Road Southeast, off I-96. It is close to the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and the Cascade Hills Country Club.
Shown in ET
6 photos
61 therapists available in Michigan
Call to book
We'll help you find the right provider and get you scheduled.
Book online
Find the right provider for you and book your first session in minutes.