About Mark Young

Mark R. Young - a Licensed Clinical Social Worker & Psychotherapist

Hi, I'm Mark Young,
I would like you to feel as comfortable as possible when you attend a counseling/psychotherapy appointment with me to discuss your concerns.

You have the right to know some background about a counselor with whom you might be sharing very  important, private parts of your life.  I grew up in Southern Wisconsin, fished, camped, wrestled, played tennis, rode motorcycle, and worked a lot while attending school.

As a teen, I considered careers in herpetology,  photography, and started college as an artmajor at Univiversity of Wisconsin-Whitewater. However, I met a senior, Kathy Farina, my freshman year, who was a social work major. I was about to change my major to English and focus on writing, when I took Intro to Social Work/Social Welfare, taught by Professor Charles Zastrow, Ph.D. on a whim. Within weeks I was convinced to change majors to social welfare/social work, and have never regretted the decision. By my senior year, I was certain I wanted to get my Master's degree, and pursue a career in clinical social work, which is a foundation for psychotherapy (see "counseling" page for more info. on various disciplines that provide psychotherapy).

The late Professor Ralph Navarre announced to our research class a "psych tech" position at the inpatient psychiatric hospital in my home town. I applied for and got the job (over many other applicants I was told). I worked as a psych tech during most of my college years. I also worked at YMCA Camp as a counselor, and at Beginnings Group Home with delinquent boys.

I went straight on to grad school at University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning my Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) in 1988, after completing internships on the Inpatient Psychiatry unit at the Madison/Middleton VA Hospital and as an outpatient psychotherapist intern for the Rock County Counseling Center, under a great supervisor & therapist, Diane Roang, MSW.

Immediately after graduating in May, 1988, I accepted an outpatient therapist position at the Dickinson County Counseling Center in Kingsford, MI (now called, "Northpointe").

I worked at the Counseling Center 4.5 years, leaving in December 2002, to accept a position with good friend & colleague, Colleen Osier, MS, LLP at Dickinson County Memorial Counseling Services. We added a psychiatrist and the hospital changed our psychiatry department’s name to "Sandstone Psychotherapy Center".

Various challenges led to DCH stepping out of the Behavioral Health field, and MGH taking over the clinic for a few years. They offered me a position, which I appreciated, but I opted to strike out on my own in Feburary 1998 - ten years after I'd come to the U.P. I started my private practice, incorporating a month or two later as "Resolving Concerns" / Mark R. Young Inc., and never once regretted the choice —I only wish I’d have started my private practice a few years sooner!

Today, I counsel adults and kids on a limited part-time schedule at my Iron Mountain clinic, and also via telehealth (video sessions on your computer or smartphone). I often start as early as 7am, but rarely offer evening hours currently. When not at my clinic, I do some volunteering, perform live music, and play pickleball extensively.

My (mobile text-capable) telephone # is easy to remember: 9.0.6. "PRO.HELP" or 906.776.4357 (but my texts often show up as # 313.BE.HAPPY7 (313.242.7797).