My Psychology Today Profile
Meet Michael Uram, MA, LMFT, LPCC: Helping Individuals, Couples, Children, and Families Thrive Throughout California
Finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re searching because of anxiety, depression, ADHD, relationship challenges, parenting stress, OCD, autism, or simply feeling stuck in life, taking the first step toward therapy is often the hardest. My goal is to make that first step feel comfortable, collaborative, and hopeful.
I’m Michael Uram, MA, LMFT, LPCC, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor serving clients throughout California. Over the past two decades, I have had the privilege of helping hundreds of individuals, couples, teenagers, children, and families navigate life’s most difficult moments while building the skills needed for long-term emotional well-being.
Therapy Should Give You Practical Tools
One of the biggest frustrations people share about previous therapy experiences is that they spent months talking without feeling like much changed.
My philosophy is different.
While understanding your history is important, I also believe you deserve practical strategies that you can begin using immediately. Many clients leave their very first session with concrete tools they can apply that same day.
Therapy should help you feel more confident managing life’s challenges—not simply understanding why they exist.
Every treatment plan is personalized, but my approach often incorporates evidence-based therapies including:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and anxiety
- EMDR for trauma
- Collaborative Problem Solving
- Positive Psychology
- Family Systems Therapy
- Executive Function Coaching
These approaches allow us to develop solutions that fit your goals rather than using a one-size-fits-all model.
Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people begin therapy.
You may constantly worry about the future, overthink conversations, avoid situations that once felt easy, or feel physically exhausted from racing thoughts.
Together we work to understand the cycle that keeps anxiety alive while developing healthier ways to respond. Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety completely, therapy helps you build confidence that you can handle difficult emotions without letting them control your life.
Whether you’re experiencing generalized anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, perfectionism, health anxiety, or school anxiety, treatment focuses on creating lasting change instead of temporary relief.
ADHD and Executive Functioning
Many adults and children with ADHD spend years believing they are lazy, unmotivated, or simply not trying hard enough.
In reality, ADHD affects organization, emotional regulation, working memory, planning, time management, and attention.
Therapy helps clients understand how their brains work while developing practical systems that improve daily functioning at home, school, work, and in relationships.
Parents often seek therapy because homework has become a nightly battle, their child struggles with emotional regulation, or executive functioning difficulties are creating family conflict. Adults frequently want help managing procrastination, organization, impulsivity, and workplace performance.
Autism and Neurodiversity
Every autistic individual has unique strengths and challenges.
My goal is never to change who someone is, but rather to help individuals better understand themselves, improve communication, build meaningful relationships, and navigate environments that often weren’t designed with neurodivergent thinkers in mind.
I also work closely with parents who want practical strategies to strengthen family communication while supporting their child’s emotional growth and independence.
OCD and Exposure Therapy
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is highly treatable when evidence-based approaches are used.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is considered one of the most effective treatments for OCD. Together, we gradually reduce avoidance behaviors and compulsions while building confidence that uncertainty can be tolerated.
Many people wait years before receiving the correct treatment for OCD. My goal is to help clients break that cycle and regain their lives.
Relationship and Couples Therapy
Even healthy relationships experience periods of stress.
Many couples seek therapy because they feel disconnected, struggle to communicate effectively, or continue having the same arguments without resolution.
Common concerns include:
- Communication difficulties
- Parenting disagreements
- Emotional distance
- Trust after infidelity
- Financial conflict
- Blended family challenges
- ADHD impacting relationships
- Life transitions
- Premarital counseling
Therapy is not about determining who is right or wrong. Instead, we identify patterns that keep couples stuck while building healthier ways of connecting.
Individual therapy can also dramatically improve relationships by increasing emotional awareness, communication skills, confidence, and healthy boundaries.
Child and Teen Therapy
Children often express emotional distress through behavior rather than words.
Whether a child is struggling with anxiety, school refusal, ADHD, autism, emotional regulation, bullying, low self-esteem, or friendship difficulties, therapy provides a safe place to learn coping skills while helping parents understand how to best support growth at home.
Teenagers face unique pressures related to academics, friendships, social media, identity, athletics, and preparing for adulthood.
My goal is to create an environment where adolescents feel respected, understood, and empowered rather than judged.
A Collaborative Approach
Therapy works best when it feels like a partnership.
Rather than telling clients what to do, I believe in working together to identify meaningful goals, understand obstacles, and develop practical solutions that fit each person’s life.
Whether you’re seeking therapy for anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, OCD, trauma, parenting concerns, or relationship challenges, treatment is always individualized to your needs.
Serving Clients Throughout California
I work with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families throughout California, offering both in-person and telehealth services when appropriate.
If you’re looking for a therapist who combines compassion with practical, evidence-based strategies, I’d be honored to help.
Taking the first step toward therapy can feel intimidating, but it may also become one of the most valuable investments you make in yourself, your relationships, and your future.
If you’re ready to begin, I invite you to learn more about my practice, ask questions, and schedule an appointment. Together, we can work toward creating lasting change—one conversation at a time.