TELEHEALTH STATEWIDE · SOUTH HILLS, PA
Michael Breitenbach, MS, LPC
“Talent means nothing, while experience, acquired in humility and with hard work, means everything.”
Michael Breitenbach is a Licensed Professional Counselor at CPA Counseling, working primarily by secure telehealth across Pennsylvania, with in-person appointments available at the South Hills office. He has been counseling since 2004 and has been licensed since 2008; he works with adults, couples, teens, and families on anxiety, depression, addiction, relationships, and life transitions — with a particular focus on young adults, technology addiction, and men seeking therapy.
WHO MICHAEL WORKS WITH
Who he’s for
Michael works with adults, teens, young adults, couples, families, seniors, and veterans. Women, men, LGBTQ+ clients, college students. Primarily by telehealth across Pennsylvania, with in-person appointments available at the South Hills office.
why work with Michael
Generativity, not stagnation
His guiding frame, from Erikson: generativity is about giving back — raising children, being productive at work, taking part in something larger. People who have lost that thread often arrive describing it as something else entirely.
HOW MICHAEL WORKS
Fourteen approaches, tailored each time
The widest toolkit in the practice, and twenty-two years of judgment about which part to use. His stated belief is that therapy should be tailored to the individual rather than run as a protocol.
CONDITIONS TREATED
What Michael treats – who Michael sees
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma
- ADHD
- Addiction
- Technology Addiction
- Marriage & Couples
- Family Issues
- Emotional Abuse
- Codependency
- Life Transitions
- Grief & Loss
- Men
- Workplace Stress
- Self-Esteem
For addiction
Federally registered in addiction — the only one here
“Everyone has the potential to reach their full potential, and I am committed to helping my clients get there.”
CARE PHILOSOPHY
Tailored. And it asks for your effort.
Tailored to the individual, in Michael’s words, which is why the toolkit is as wide as it is. He is highly experienced in CBT, psychodynamic therapy, and the Gottman approach, and he is explicit that his ideal client is internally motivated and willing to put in the work — this is collaborative, not delivered.
ABOUT MICHAEL
Purpose, and fulfillment
Michael Breitenbach is a highly experienced clinician influenced by Erik Erikson’s social development theory, focused on the seventh stage: generativity versus stagnation.
He believes generativity is about giving back to society — raising children, being productive at work, and taking part in community — and works with clients toward purpose and fulfillment. People who have lost that thread often arrive describing it as something else entirely.
Michael is highly experienced in cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and the Gottman approach for couples’ communication, and believes an approach to therapy must be tailored to the individual rather than run as a protocol. Alongside sessions he provides resources and helps clients build an actual plan for a healthier life.
As a telehealth therapist he has found that many people value the freedom it offers, and that it has empowered men to seek therapy at a higher rate, reducing the stigma that has kept many of them away. He has a particular passion for working with young adults navigating peer pressure and social media — as a father of four children ranging from toddler to young adulthood, he understands those pressures directly.
He holds a Master of Science in Counseling from Chatham University, is federally registered in addiction counseling, and sees clients by telehealth across Pennsylvania and in person at the South Hills office.
Approaches Used
The widest toolkit here
Addiction & Technology
Federally registered in addiction
Personalized Care Plans
No program commitments required
CONDITION GUIDE
Therapy guides from Michael Breitenbach
Mental Health
The Same Hill, Two Experiences: Tandem Cycling & CBT
The same hill can feel completely different to two people riding it together — for one, speed means danger; for the other, speed means fun. That gap is a central idea in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): our emotions are shaped not only by what happens to us, but by how we interpret it. CBT helps us notice those automatic interpretations and respond with more balance. Christina Binder, LSW practices in Center City Philadelphia and by telehealth across Pennsylvania.
Relationships
What Actually Changes in Couples Therapy
Most couples arrive at therapy still hopeful — tired of the same argument and wanting it to stop, not deciding whether to leave. With me, a session isn’t two people venting while someone nods: I give feedback and hand over usable skills, using the Gottman Method to find the pattern underneath the conflict. Ashlie Mohney, LPC works with couples in Pittsburgh’s Robinson area and by telehealth across Pennsylvania.
Relationships
Codependency: When Caring for Someone Costs You Yourself
Codependency is a pattern — not a diagnosis — where your sense of self becomes tied to managing, pleasing, or rescuing someone else, and your own needs get filed under “later” permanently. It’s usually a skill that was learned somewhere and once kept you safe. Because it’s a pattern rather than a disorder, it can change. Kelly Schworn, LPC offers person-centered therapy in English and Spanish in Pittsburgh’s South Hills and across Pennsylvania.