Dr. Micah Zylstra is a licensed clinical psychologist who works with adults navigating trauma, depression, grief, and relationship challenges. His approach blends thoughtful insight with practical tools to help clients better understand themselves and make meaningful changes in their lives.
Micah earned his Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Religious Studies from Michigan State University before completing his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Adelphi University. His doctoral research explored how people internally experience trauma, stress, and loss—particularly during periods of uncertainty and crisis. This work deepened his understanding of how emotions such as shame, isolation, and hopelessness can shape emotional well-being and relationships.
During his clinical training, Micah gained experience across a range of therapeutic settings. He completed an externship at the Depression Evaluation Service at Columbia University’s New York State Psychiatric Institute, where he conducted psychological evaluations and worked with individuals experiencing complex mood concerns.
He later completed his predoctoral internship at JCCA Brooklyn Foster Home Services, providing therapy, consultation, and psychological assessments for youth and families navigating significant life challenges. This work strengthened his understanding of how early experiences can continue to influence self-esteem, emotional regulation, and relationships throughout adulthood.
Earlier in his career, Micah also worked as a crisis counselor for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, completing thousands of risk assessments and providing support during moments of acute distress. He was later promoted to a Training and Quality Improvement Specialist, where he trained and supervised mental health professionals and helped develop best practices for compassionate and effective crisis care.
Across these experiences, Micah developed a deep respect for the resilience people bring to therapy and a commitment to creating a space where individuals can explore their experiences safely while building greater clarity, confidence, and hope.
Micah works with individuals who feel stuck in patterns that are hard to change—such as self-doubt, fear of rejection, people-pleasing, or relationship difficulties that seem to repeat no matter how much insight they have. Many clients come to therapy knowing something isn’t working in their lives but feeling unsure why these patterns keep showing up. Micah helps clients understand where these patterns come from and, more importantly, how they can begin to change.
A central part of Micah’s work is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an evidence-based therapy that helps the brain process difficult experiences that may still be influencing how someone feels about themselves and others. As these experiences are processed, emotional triggers often become less intense, and people are able to respond to situations with greater clarity, confidence, and stability.
Micah has completed EMDRIA-approved Training in EMDR and continues to deepen his expertise through advanced trainings and ongoing consultation.
Alongside EMDR, Micah integrates psychodynamic therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Psychodynamic therapy helps clients understand how earlier relationships and experiences may have shaped their sense of self and the ways they relate to others. CBT provides practical tools to shift unhelpful thought patterns and build healthier ways of responding to stress and emotional challenges.
By combining these approaches, Micah helps clients move beyond simply understanding their struggles to actually creating meaningful change. Together, they work to reduce shame and self-criticism, build healthier relationship patterns, and develop a stronger, more confident sense of self.
Micah’s goal is to help clients feel less stuck in the past and more able to move forward—with greater emotional balance, stronger relationships, and a clearer sense of who they want to be.
