Patrick Middleton
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #138472Bakersfield, CA
As a Bible-believing Christian, I believe there’s hope in every situation. I’ve been married for 12 years to a beautiful and amazing woman. My wife and I have two of the best daughters in the world and as a family, we love to laugh, be creative, and play games.
In 2014 I completed my master’s degree in counseling for marriage and family therapy, and I believe that therapy at its best is a process to help someone cope with and/or solve complicated life problems, all done in a way that keeps Christ as the foundation of their life.
God loves us, and I believe what we ultimately want in life is what God has labeled “the fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. However, Galatians 5 is also clear that the fruit of the Spirit is the result of putting God first in our life, choosing to live by the Spirit of God, and obeying what He’s calling us to do. That’s why I’m passionate about providing professional therapy from a distinctly Christian worldview. We need Christ at the center of everything.
Character References
Professional Experience
For the past 5 years, I’ve been providing intensive services to children and families in crisis (1 year in a non-clinical social worker role, and 4 years in a clinical therapist role).
I’ve provided individual therapy, family therapy, parent support education/coaching, and other related services with the goals of reducing mental illness/symptoms, strengthening family systems, and strengthening my clients’ ability to cope with life stressors. Prior to this experience, I was helping non-traditional adult college students for about 9 years in an enrollment/academic counseling role.
As a Marriage and Family Therapist working for Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (April, 2019 to current) I’ve worked with some of the more acute mentally ill youth in Kern County, providing crisis services, and individual and family therapy throughout Bakersfield (i.e. In-home services, Mary K Shell Psychiatric Evaluation Center, Kern Medical ER, Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, Crestwood MHRC, schools, and other locations).
Life challenges I have experience in:
- ADHD
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Autism (However, I do not provide ABA therapy)
- Bipolar
- Conduct issues (i.e. lying, stealing, harming others, destroying property)
- Coping with life stress
- Depression
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
- Foster parenting & supporting foster youth
- Hopelessness
- Low motivation
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- PTSD
- Schizophrenia
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviors
- Trauma
Multiple Therapy Options
Your needs and wants matter in therapy. I want you to feel comfortable with the process. I use a combination of tools from a variety of different types of therapy to best support you, your needs, and your preferences. Your therapy might include a combination of techniques from:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Family Systems Therapy
- Existential Therapy
- Attachment-based Therapy
- Play Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solutions-Focused Therapy
- Structural and Strategic Family Therapy
