About me
Hello!
I’m Stephen Schwed. I’m a licensed professional counselor in the state of Colorado. I got my Masters in Counseling Psychology at the University of Denver. Since then, I have worked mostly with teenagers and young men to help them access their anger in healthy ways, to heal from past trauma, and to return to love again.
I specialize in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and EMDR (Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) for the treatment of anxiety and trauma.
I have experience working within the settings of schools and jails (which unfortunately are not always so different), as well as years of experience working in the virtual office since COVID-19. Currently, I am only available to book for virtual appointments, which has improved both the access and retention of work for everyone involved.
On a more personal note, I’m from New York City and grew up a bit anxious—overwhelmed by a city of unlimited options of what to do and who to be — I felt aimless for much of my youth. I struggled with small decisions like where to have lunch, and big ones like where to go to school.
I had to work hard to get to a place where I can now make decisions that feel good — which is both the name of my brand and the working title of my book, coming in 2027. I’ve learned from making many mistakes, and working every day to get better at making decisions, how to decide on things and feel good about the outcome. To make decisions that align spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. To get the heart, the mind, and the soul on board takes practice and a bit of instruction.
Decisions That Feel Good as a brand idea came to me while traveling in Australia. Since then, I’ve written about it on Substack, Instagram, and TikTok. I started DTFG coaching to give people who resonated with my work a place to land. I wanted to offer a space to help those struggling with the same things I’ve worked hard to get better at, and truthfully, still work on. Anyone who swears they’ve got it all figured out, probably doesn’t. I know the pain points in the decision making process because I’ve lived them.
My background in therapy informs how I listen, how I ask questions, and how I challenge my clients. But coaching is its own thing. It’s not the same as psychological treatment. The biggest overlap between the two didactics is me and my personality, which will shine through in either format.