About Me
Dr. Stephen Parrish, DMFT, LCPC
“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD.
“Plans for good and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
“For I will restore you to health, and, I will heal you of your wounds,” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 29:11 & 30:17a
I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Great Falls in 1986 with a major in Sociology, with a minor in Ministries through Platte Valley Bible College (now known as Summit Christian College). I received my Masters from the University of Phoenix in 2009, in Marriage, Family and Child Therapies. I received my Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University, Denver in 2013.
I am an ordained minister with over thirty years experience working with children, teens, individuals and families in a variety of settings. These include residential and state group homes, churches, private homes and public schools. From 1988-2007 I worked as a counselor and supervisor at Intermountain Children’s Home in Helena, Montana. My experience there included the intensive care of multi-diagnosed children and their families.
My wife, Sue, and I met while in Bible College and married in 1978. We have five children, one of whom we adopted. Our lives together have included the care in our home for over one hundred children through state placement and foster/adoptive care. Needless to say, my work with children and families over the years has provided me with invaluable experience and insight into the difficulties, challenges and struggles many of us face.
I am known for my caring and gentle, yet straight forward approach in my work with clients. I work hard to provide a safe environment in which to explore troubling issues, gain insight into life patterns, improve self-esteem and confidence. I use several therapeutic approaches with emphasis in narrative, structural and cognitive/behavioral therapies. My passion comes in working with couples, marriages, and families, although my working relationship with individuals has not been less fulfilling.