Mark Olexa
Practical, collaborative therapy with experienced LMSW
LMSW Michigan
- Experience
- 38 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Self esteem
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Mark
Mark Olexa is a licensed social worker with 38 years of clinical experience who emphasizes practical, skills-based work using cognitive behavioral techniques alongside client-centered and motivational methods.
Background and approach
He frames therapy as a collaborative process that helps people address mood disturbances, anxiety, addictions, and difficult life transitions by focusing on actionable steps, decision-making, and relapse prevention when relevant. His practice covers a wide range of concerns including stress, self-esteem struggles, bipolar and depressive symptoms, ADHD, anger management, and substance use issues.
He also addresses related areas such as caregiver stress, codependency, guilt and shame, men’s issues, midlife transitions, post-traumatic stress, seasonal mood changes, and workplace difficulties. Sessions may include talk-based counseling, goal setting, and homework exercises tailored to each person’s needs.
When a situation requires expertise beyond his scope, referrals to independent professionals are provided so clients receive appropriate care. Mark works with English-speaking clients from Michigan and accepts international clients, drawing on decades of experience to help people clarify goals and develop practical coping strategies.
Evidence-Informed Approaches for Online Work
Mark uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help clients identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and managing addictive behaviors. Client-centered methods create space for the person’s goals and perspectives to guide sessions, helping build motivation and clarity about what to work on. Dialectical behavior therapy contributes practical emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills that are helpful when intense moods or impulsive behaviors interfere with daily life.Choosing the best approach is a collaborative process. He will discuss goals, preferences, and what seems to help, and then adapt methods over time so the work fits each person’s needs. Clients and therapist determine together which techniques to prioritize and how to structure sessions for progress.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility to fit different schedules and comfort levels. These options can make it easier to maintain continuity of care, practice skills between sessions, and access therapy when in-person visits are impractical, while allowing therapists to tailor interventions to each client’s pace and circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
38+ years
Licensed
Michigan
Languages
English