Michal Neff: Founder and Program Director of Precipice Counseling

Michal Neff (Mike) founded Precipice Counseling, LLC in Tooele, UT, in September 2021 with a focus on improving the quality of individualized services. He is the owner/operator of Precipice Counseling, LLC and its program director, providing therapeutic services. He specializes in trauma and obsessive disorders but also enjoys exploring the complexity of individuals' and couples' experiences and challenges.

Mind-Body Bridging for Lasting Change

Mike has been a practicing clinician since 2015. He spent most of his academic career pursuing a better understanding of trauma and addiction. Following graduate school, he felt a close connection to the theoretical framework of the I-System Institute created by Dr. Stanley Block. He became board-certified in Mind-Body Bridging in 2023 and is currently on the board of the I-System Institute at Utah State University.

People embracing in a supportive group hug.

Experience and Certifications

Experience

9/2021-Present
Founder | Program Director | Clinician
Precipice Counseling

10/2020-3/2022
Mental Health Clinician | Clinical Director
Bonneville Family Practice

8/2018-10/2020
Clinical Director | Clinical Coordinator
Odyssey House

9/2016-8/2018
Clinical Director | Crisis Team Lead | Clinician
Valley Behavioral Health

5/2015-9/2016
Clinician | Substance Use Counselor
Odyssey House

8/2015-5/2016
MSW Practicum Clinician
SLC Veteran Affairs Medical Center

10/2014-05/2015
Substance Use Disorder Counselor
Discovery House of Utah

Certifications and Memberships

Business Networking Initiative - Moonlight Money Makers Chapter
Mind-Body Bridging
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing and American Society Addiction Medicine
Motivational Interviewing and Treatment Planning
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Eye-Movement Desensitization, and Reprocessing
Simple Approach to Complex Bereavement
Supervision in Mental Health Care
Advanced Supervision in Mental Health Care
Ethics in Online Supervision
Mental Health in Perinatal Mood Disorders

Mike Neff, in His Own Words

I am a veteran with experience in mental health and have been a practicing clinician since 2015. As a board-certified mind-body bridging therapist, my work focuses on evoking the inner healer within ourselves to achieve the life we desire. I believe in taking a collaborative approach to helping people reach their goals; therefore, I enjoy working with doctors, massage therapists, natural healers, and other professionals to best meet my clients’ needs. I have been a proud husband since 2009 and a blessed father of two children. Aside from striving to be worthy of this family and living an honorable life, my passions are human behavior, strength training, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Become Your Best

I have learned to make sense of the human mind and behaviors through the I-System model of care, which makes sense of personal behaviors and our relationship with the world around us. As a passionate learner, I continue my learning by pursuing certification and self-taught skills to travel the journey of recovery with those I serve. I received professional coaching from “Becoming Your Best” and “Landmark Worldwide” to grow personally and improve my management and transformative leadership skills. I believe any dream is achievable with the right amount of effort and mindset.

Seeing clients and coworkers reclaim their present and lean into the possibilities of the future is what keeps me going.

Mike’s Views on Mental Health and Wellness and Other Topics

As part of our effort to help connect you with a clinician who would best serve you, here are Mike’s opinions and perspectives on the following important topics.

Therapeutic Journey

My approach to therapy begins with quieting the inner experiences of life, which limit our growth. Then, when we understand the inner limitations, we can design a future that means something to you. To do this, I assess my clients within the Identity System and work to free clients from their sticking points. This approach is experiential, in that you experience recovery through doing, not just learning.

Medications

I am conservative towards medications. There are a lot of medications proven to help in the recovery journey and effective in managing various mental illnesses. I struggle with the idea of seven medications, where three to four of them are focused on managing the side effects of the other three. This seems counterintuitive; therefore, I have connected with multiple medication providers in the area who are conservative in regard to medications. Ultimately, this is your choice, and I support your autonomy over my beliefs on medications.

Opinions on Politics | Religion

I find it important to explore your sense of community and belonging. I don't think we have to agree politically or religiously to work together. These are two areas I prefer to keep private, as the nation is divided on these topics. However, I find it important for individuals to explore their beliefs and stances on both these topics and potentially find community within them. Research shows we tend to gain more in finding connection with others than finding division.

Making the Most of Life's Journey

As a veteran, I place emphasis on individuals and the rights outlined by our Constitution. In therapy, I am focused on the rights of the person (people) sitting with me and do not engage in policy discussion or promotion of specific advocacy groups aimed towards specific political viewpoints. Therapy is about making the most of what you have and connecting with a community that serves you. There are many advocacy groups available to pursue changes in policy or politics, and we can be a resource to connect you to these groups. However, I believe therapy is about making the most out of life and current circumstances. Therefore, therapy with me is not a great place to pursue this kind of advocacy work.

Gender Identity and Sexuality

I find it important to understand matters of gender and sexuality, as well as how this impacts interpersonal, social, and economic circumstances. I view therapy as a place for you to explore yourself and grow into the truly powerful and magnificent person you are. I do not engage in therapies focused on changing sexual/gender identity. Your identity is yours and not to be defined, created, or changed by anyone other than you.

Passion in Trauma

As a veteran who has recovered from trauma, I find it a passion of mine to assist others in their recovery. The illness of trauma is when the human mind gets stuck inside a horrible event, resulting in the mind reliving it through dreams or experiences long after the event. I have many tools and experiences to aid in the recovery journey, and I enjoy exploring unique applications of these tools to help those struggling with seeing results in their recovery.

Passion in Obsessive Compulsion

I find myself intrigued with the experience of having to do something every day. We all do some things compulsively, such as which foot goes up the stairs first, or do you see your left-hand fingers when you fold your arms, or not? When I see compulsive behaviors, it seems to be a similar response, but more in a way that makes daily living challenging. I love exploring options with clients and seeing how they apply techniques from our sessions.

Couples | Family Therapy

The truth is, I initially chose to pursue couples therapy as an interest to improve my skills but didn't know what I was doing. In this journey, I have learned where my skills lie. I specialize in keeping families together!

In knowing the dynamics of relationships, I have learned to watch for the destroyers of relationships and help couples develop an understanding of these as well as apply useful skills to combat them. Then, we work on quieting the negative self-talk and partner talk that impairs our abilities to communicate and grow together. When the family members want to stay together and apply these skills, there is success in sustaining the relationship.

Mike's Favorite Quote: "The Man in the Arena" by Theodore Roosevelt

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Get Started (New Clients)

Client Portal

Call Precipice Counseling, LLC at (435) 200-3107 to schedule an appointment with Mike.