Parke Sterling, LPC

Therapy that doesn’t feel like therapy — from a guy who’s been where you are.

I’ve had that hard realization myself

I work with men who feel anxious, stressed, or burned out. Most of the guys I see are functioning at a pretty high clip but not feeling that great about life — and many are confused by that. They followed the playbook our culture handed them, but they aren’t all that happy.

My path here wasn’t a straight line. In high school and college I partied too hard. After graduation I landed in corporate sales and quickly realized I hated selling people things they didn’t need. Around that time I started facing my own struggles with anxiety, stress, and depression, and turned to psychology, philosophy, exercise, and meditation to make sense of it all.

I’m oddly grateful for that chapter now. I’ve been there. I still am sometimes. Over time I built my own roadmap for navigating these struggles — and that’s exactly what I help clients do.

My approach

If you’ve struggled with anxiety or burnout, you already know you can’t outthink it or outwork it. What’s needed is a shift: learning to relate to your thoughts and emotions differently so they don’t control your actions. I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — practical, action-oriented, built to give you tools that last long after therapy ends.

Clients describe my approach as laid-back, authentic, and invested. The thing I love about working with men is that I’m much more like my clients than different from them. In another setting, we’d probably be neighborhood friends having a beer in the backyard at a cookout.

Who I work best with

Men in their 20s–40s in the grind of family, earning a living, and trying to find some joy in the middle of it
Men in demanding careers — healthcare, finance, public safety, other high-pressure fields
The dad down the street who used to feel confident and doesn’t recognize himself anymore
Men in their 50s and 60s taking stock of the path forward
The overthinkers — guys whose minds never seem to shut off

If you value humor, introspection, depth, and a therapist who talks like a real human being, we’ll work well together.

The clinical part — and the rest

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor with a master’s in Mental Health and Rehabilitation Counseling from VCU and a bachelor’s in Sociology from Randolph-Macon College. I’m always reading and deepening my understanding of this work because I genuinely love what I do.

Outside the work: history, being outdoors, the Baltimore Orioles, Eastern philosophy, and music — John Prine, Van Morrison, and the Grateful Dead at the top of the list. My favorite book is An Island to Oneself and my favorite movie is Castaway. My wife points out both are about being alone on an island. She’s not wrong. Despite that, I’m happily married with two kids, a boxer named Poppy, and a morbidly obese (diet starts tomorrow) cat named Wilson.

Let’s get started

Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, stress, or just feeling stuck, there’s a way forward that actually works. No pressure, no sales pitch — just a real conversation about what you want your life to look like.

Book a free 15-minute consult Call or text 804-210-7891 · parke@richmondanxiety.com · or meet Daniel and Devin