Max Phillips, MSW, LCSW

What led you to becoming a mental health clinician?

I have always been drawn to helping professions. I've previously worked at a domestic violence safehouse, a sexual assault crisis line, an inpatient substance use recovery center, in multiple independent supportive living homes (usually for individuals developmental disabilities), and at two major community mental health organizations. I applied to my master's program on a whim after my time in community health, which had helped me realize how much I loved working with therapists and clients alike. 

My own personal journey has included trauma, which started from an early age and led to me starting therapy as soon as I hit adulthood. I've been in therapy as a client on and off for a decade now, and firmly believe I still have so much to gain from it. I can't imagine where I would be without my own therapy journey, and I feel so privileged being able to be that space for others. 

Overall, I thrive in working with clients who had painful, messy childhoods. This may include sexual trauma (in childhood or adulthood), abusive or narcissistic parents, shame and guilt conditioning from religious trauma, or simply growing up as a lonely queer kid in Missouri. I help folks who feel their body or nervous system has been hijacked by their trauma, by not only getting them skills to deal with their trauma triggers, but also reducing the emotional intensity of those triggers, and increasing feelings of safety and groundedness in both body and life.

What does being a 'good therapist' mean to you? 

To me, being a 'good therapist' means creating a space where your client can tell you absolutely anything, free of judgment. It means providing your clients with the knowledge and resources to make informed decisions in their lives, and holding onto hope for them while they find that light again. 

I strive to create a sense of safety in my sessions, physical, emotional, and mental. I know sometimes the things being said in therapy sessions, have maybe never been spoken out loud before, and I think creating and maintaining a protected, honored processing space is an important first step in healing work.

What’s your training and educational background?

I have my Bachelor's of Science in Justice Systems from Truman State University, along with a minor in Psychology. Almost a year after undergrad, I went for my Master of Social Work degree, which is from the University of Southern California. 

I currently offer Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), as well as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)-informed care. I am transgender, enby, bisexual, polyamorous, ADHD, and autistic. I share these parts of my identity with all my clients, and strive to be an open book. I know I am not a token representative of these communities, but I firmly believe having a provider that aligns with yourself in certain ways can be incredibly necessary for folks feeling safe with you.   

I work only over telehealth at this time.

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Outside of sessions, Max is often reading memoirs and graphic novels, writing his own memoirs and post-apocalyptic fiction, and practicing figure sketching. He loves camping, kayaking, and lazy Sundays in bed. He has a cat named Bugs, who will sometimes make guest appearances in telehealth sessions.