Grow Well Cleveland

Pete Finnerty (he/him/his) is a licensed professional clinical counselor and supervisor (LPCC-S), advocate, consultant, educator, and founder/clinical director of Grow Well Cleveland LLC and Assistant Professor of Counseling at Cleveland State University. As an "out" queer clinician, educator, and advocate Pete believes in serving "with/for" the entire LGBTQ+ community and all persons oppressed and marginalized by society. Pete received a B.A. in Psychology and Master's in Counseling (with emphasis in marriage and family therapy) from California State University-Fresno, followed by a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Kent State University. As a clinician Pete has worked in college counseling centers, community agencies, crisis centers, private practice, and inpatient behavioral health centers. These experiences allowed Pete to hone a holistic, systemic approach while developing unique nutritional, physical activity, and advocacy/resistance techniques for therapy borrowed from other careers as an educator and fitness trainer. Particular tools Pete utilizes include activity/yoga therapy including walk & talks, EMDR, DBT, feminist narrative, and ACT in individual, dyad, and group settings. Pete's practice is based in affirmative, feminist, existential, and community wellness. Pete also counsels athletes, couples, families, and many others at Grow Well Cleveland. 

Pete is also a professor in Cleveland State University's counseling program where he teaches assessment, clinical practicum & internship courses, family counseling, ethics, career development, personality development/assessment, and addictions recently. He has taught theory, cultural responsivity, research methods, psychopathology, service learning, and several specialty courses on LGBTQ+ issues and wellness during previous stints as an educator. Pete develops collaborative scholarly literature in these areas including a comprehensive set of competencies for counseling the LGBTQ+ population as part of advocacy with the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE), a division of the American Counseling Association. Other publications and research interests include LGBTQ+ issues, social justice, advocacy, wellness, nature-based therapy, and social determinants in counseling. Pete advocates and organizes locally, regionally, and nationally for LGBTQ+ persons and other marginalized persons, military members/veterans, ecological concerns, and professional counselors. Pete collaboratively started the Ohio division of SAIGE in 2011 and also joined the board for Colors+ Youth Center around the same time, serving as President until 2023. He presents at local, state, and national conferences on LGBTQ+ issues, advocacy, wellness, supervision, teaching, and other topics. In his spare time you will find Pete running the trails and riding the roads of the greater Cleveland and national parks with his family.

Pete's pronouns are he/him/his.

Pete sees clients in-person at the Ohio City location, local parks/outdoor spaces, and virtually.