Menzo Faassen

Menzo Faassen earned a B.S. in Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University in 1999 and later completed an M.S. in Community Counseling at Austin Peay State University in 2009. He completed his initial licensure hours at a community mental health center, an experience that developed his ability to work with a wide range of people and concerns.

He obtained his first counseling license in Tennessee in 2015 and has held licenses previously in New Mexico and Kentucky. Currently he is licensed to practice in Virginia as a Licensed Professional Counselor, holding VA LPC 0701010945. Because of telehealth regulations, sessions must be conducted while the client is physically located in Virginia; if a client is outside the state during a scheduled appointment, the session must be rescheduled.

Since relocating to Richmond, Virginia in January 2022, he works full time in an outpatient clinic in the Richmond area. His background includes practice across multiple treatment settings - outpatient care, intensive outpatient programs, residential substance abuse treatment, and partial hospitalization. He is especially experienced in working with trauma, addiction, depression, grief and loss, and issues affecting LGBT individuals, and he is a proud member of the LGBT community.

His therapeutic stance begins with a person-centered approach influenced by Carl Rogers, emphasizing unconditional positive regard and meeting clients where they are. He also integrates cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodramatic techniques developed by J. L. Moreno, using methods such as doubling, role play, role reversal and the empty chair. Psychodrama techniques are offered only in video sessions and may involve using a chair or an object to represent another person or part of oneself; these exercises can include movement, so clients should be in a quiet, private space with room to move.

Before beginning therapy he asks clients to provide a home address and phone number, or optionally a photo ID. This information helps him respond appropriately in emergencies and confirms that he is licensed to provide services in the state where the client resides. While clients may send messages at any time, he does not respond immediately around the clock - his practice on this platform follows a part-time, weekend structure. Messages sent during the week may not receive a reply until evenings between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM Eastern Time or on Saturday or Sunday; clients needing greater availability should consider selecting a different therapist. He encourages scheduling live sessions by phone, video, or live chat for more in-depth work, and he begins each session by asking, “What do you want to get out of our time today?” to shape the session around the client’s goals.