Clinical social worker

Miles Tate, MSW

I am a US-trained social worker offering individual therapy and clinical assessments for English speakers living outside the United States. I keep the practice small so the work can stay personal.

Clinical experience: 10 years
Practice size: About 30

Currently accepting a limited number of new clients.

10+ years of experience in addiction recovery. I do not hold an addiction counselor certification (CAC, LAC, or similar).

Approach

I bring a trauma-informed care approach to all therapy and assessments. That means paying attention to safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural humility.

I offer individual sessions by secure video, in English. The pace is unhurried. The practice is small so I can stay with the work.

Every therapy client receives an individualized treatment plan. Together we name personal goals, objectives we can notice, and intervention strategies that fit your life. We review the plan and change it when your needs change.

I draw on several therapy approaches and combine them according to that plan. I do not use one script for every person, and I do not claim a formal certification in an approach unless it is listed under certifications.

The usual path into therapy is a free consultation, then a biopsychosocial-spiritual assessment, then your treatment plan, then ongoing therapy with regular progress reviews.

Credentials

Education

Master of Social Work (MSW)
BS/BA in Psychology and History

State licenses

CSW, South DakotaCertified Social Worker
LSW, ColoradoLicensed Social Worker

Certifications

No specialty certifications are listed. Approaches described below are ways of working, not credentials.

Hands-on safety training

CPR certified

People I work with

Individuals
Adults
Adolescents
Older adults

Groups: I have led groups in earlier clinical work. Group sessions are not a current service unless that offering is turned on.

Areas of focus

These are concerns and kinds of experience I bring to individual therapy. They are not separate medical programs. Modalities sit underneath, and they are folded into each person’s treatment plan.

Grief and loss

Support for grief after a death, an illness, a move, or another major loss. Grief does not follow a tidy schedule. We go at your pace.

Hospice and medical social work

My experience includes hospice and medical social work. That background informs how I sit with illness, caregiving, and grief.

I do not provide hospice services, nursing, or medical treatment by video.

Complex trauma

Support for people who have lived through prolonged or repeated trauma. We move carefully, and we stop if the work is too much for that day.

I do not promise that trauma will be resolved in a set number of sessions.

Anxiety

Support for people living with anxiety that gets in the way of sleep, work, school, or relationships. We look at what keeps it going and practice skills that fit your plan.

I do not promise that anxiety will disappear.

Self-esteem and confidence

Therapy for the quiet belief that you are not enough. We look at where that belief came from, how it shows up with other people, and what a kinder, sturdier view of yourself could be. The pace is yours. I do not promise a new personality.

Overcoming guilt and shame

Support for guilt and shame that keep you small, secretive, or stuck. We name what happened without piling on more blame, and we look for a way to live with yourself that is honest and less harsh. I do not promise the feeling will vanish.

Building resilience and perseverance

Therapy for staying with something hard without pretending it should be easy. We look at what helps you get back up after a setback, and how to keep going at a pace that does not burn you out. I do not promise grit, or that the hard thing will become easy.

Working through ambivalence about change

Support for when part of you wants to change and part of you does not. We do not argue you into a decision. Motivational interviewing is one collaborative way to sit with that mix and hear your own reasons. I do not promise that you will choose change.

Bipolar disorder

Outpatient talk therapy for people living with bipolar disorder, alongside the local medical care you already have or need.

I do not prescribe medication. Medication care has to come from a licensed prescriber where you live.

Serious, long-term mental health conditions

Outpatient therapy for people living with serious, long-term mental health conditions, sometimes called severe and persistent mental illness. The work is talk therapy and practical support, at a pace you can sustain.

This is not a hospital, a crisis team, or an emergency service. If you need urgent or inpatient care, I will help you think about local services.

Substance use and recovery support

Outpatient talk therapy for people in recovery, people working on relapse prevention, and people living with substance use alongside other concerns such as anxiety, grief, or mood changes. I have more than 10 years of experience in addiction recovery. We use person-first language and we do not reduce you to a label.

This is outpatient talk therapy. It is not detox, not a residential program, not medical care, and not medication-assisted treatment. I do not hold an addiction counselor certification (CAC, LAC, or similar). I do not provide court-ordered, DUI, or other legally mandated substance evaluations. If you need medical care, including withdrawal management or medication, that has to come from local services.

Therapeutic approaches

I integrate these approaches according to each client’s individualized treatment plan. I use what fits the goals we set together. I do not claim a formal certification in any of them unless it is listed under certifications.

Trauma-informed care approaches

A trauma-informed care approach shapes all therapy and assessments. It centers safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural humility. You should know what we are doing and be able to slow down or stop. I do not claim a certification in trauma-informed care, and I do not promise a particular outcome.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

TF-CBT is a structured therapy for people who have been through trauma. It was developed for children and adolescents and is sometimes adapted with adults. It combines an understanding of trauma with skills for thoughts, feelings, and coping. I may use elements of it when they fit your plan. I do not promise a set number of sessions, and I do not claim certification in TF-CBT.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

DBT teaches skills for strong emotions, distress, relationships, and mindfulness. A full DBT program usually includes a weekly skills group and between-session coaching. I do not offer that full program. I may draw on DBT skills inside individual therapy when they serve your plan.

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy

This approach spends time on what you want to be different and on steps that are already helping, even a little. It is practical and forward-looking. It does not ignore pain. It simply does not require us to take your whole history apart before we look for a next step.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT helps people notice thoughts and feelings without having to win a fight with them, and then take action toward what matters. The aim is not to erase every painful feeling. The aim is a life that is a little more in line with your values, even when discomfort shows up.

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing is a collaborative approach that helps people resolve mixed feelings and find their own motivation to change. I do not push a decision on you. I do not claim certification in motivational interviewing, and I do not promise that you will choose to change.

Mindfulness-based approaches

Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment on purpose, with less automatic judgment. In therapy it is a skill we might use for a few minutes, not a religion and not a promise that anxiety will stop. We use it only when it is useful and tolerable for you.

Meridian Clinical & Therapeutic Services is a solo practice. Sessions are by secure video. The exact platform will be confirmed before the first meeting. Please use a private, quiet space and a stable connection.

Two ways to reach the practice.

Clients in South Dakota or Colorado can request a time in the client portal. If you live outside the United States, use the contact page. Email is not a clinical record.