Randy Cheek, MFT, Marriage and Family Therapist

During my undergraduate studies at Adelphi University I began developing an interest in psychology. While completing my BA degree I was employed at a psychiatric hospital in New York. My responsibilities included group therapy and multiple family therapy groups.

I took graduate level courses in social psychology at The New School for Social Research in New York. Ultimately I completed an MA in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University.

My professional experience includes clinical counseling at children's residential treatment centers. As a clinician I was the case manager of the treatment team. Later I moved into management positions in residential treatment centers with responsibility for the organization of the therapeutic milieu.

After twelve years of working in these settings I moved into community mental health settings, working at a community based non-profit agency. There my duties included supervision of clinical staff and university interns. I was also responsible for grant writing and administration.

In 1983 I opened my private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist. Initially I focused on treatment for children from divorced families. I viewed many of these children as demonstrating behavior that could be described as post-traumatic stress. By the mid 80's I began to emphasize family and couples therapy. I was involved for three years in a research project at UCSF funded by the National Institute for Drug Abuse. This research project was focused on family therapy with drug abusing adolescents.

During the mid-90s I contracted with Family Guidance International in Toronto, Canada as an associate. My responsibilities included assessing families being considered for over-seas assignment and debriefing them upon completion of their assignment. This work gave me an opportunity to develop a more holistic approach to assessment of families including employment issues, family dynamic issues, health concerns and parental support systems. Through this work I gained a deeper appreciation for exploring the attitudes, beliefs and values families hold and how these influence people's ability to adapt to change.

Over the years I have had extensive training in Ericksonian hypnosis, family therapy, couples therapy, divorce related counseling, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, Co-Parenting Counseling, Mediation and Collaborative Practice. I am emphasizing Collaborative Practice Coaching at this time in my practice. Collectively these different treatment approaches provide me with a wide range of skills to use to help clients. My main goal is to provide clients with a safe place within which they can do the in-depth work needed to make change in their lives.

Curriculum vita

Randy Cheek, MFT at IACP

Calif. Licence #MFC18248