Following attainment of a law degree and a career in higher education administration, Patrick Sterk pivoted to mental healthcare and earned a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Combining his years of experience working at a comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) practice as well as work at a leading sex-positive practice in Chicago, Patrick created Effective Path as an evidenced-based therapy practice that offers leading services to individuals and couples seeking support and change in their lives.

Patrick is trained in DBT and employs its skills and concepts along with Narrative Therapy to help each client reframe their lived experience in a kinder, more forgiving light. With training in critical thinking, client support, and advocacy developed in law school, lived experience of career demands and management, and a personal journey of mental health and wellness, Patrick combines these disparate elements of knowledge and ability in service of his clients.

Ultimately, Patrick’s goal is to support each client in finding meaning in their life and to have the tools and resources necessary to pursue what matters most, their “life worth living.”