Mary Jo Drueke, MA, LLP, is in private practice in Ada, Michigan. She received her Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University. She has augmented her education with studies in alcohol and substance abuse and neurofeedback. She has also had training from the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and additional training with B. Alan Wallace in Cultivating Emotional Balance, both programs that teach the practices of mindfulness and meditation for relaxation. She works with Randy Flood, MA, LLP doing men’s group work at the Men’s Resource Center in Grand Rapids along with providing individual counseling for partners of men.
Mary Jo considers it a privilege to work with men’s groups to support their healing, growth, and recovery. She is able to both provide empathy from their abusive pasts and accountability in their efforts to stop the pattern of behavior in their current intimate relationships. She understands and is committed to helping men recover from the toxicity of male socialization that teaches men to numb their emotions and disconnect from their bodies and the emotions of others. Mary Jo also works with the partners or others who love these men to support them as the healing begins.
Using mindfulness that centers first of all on one’s body and making that connection and learning to be more aware of not only the physical sensations but also the emotionality that begins in the body is fundamental in Mary Jo’s approach. This connection begins a road of self-awareness and emotional intelligence that offers the hope to make positive changes. She works with the often unconscious stories we tell ourselves that are often very hurtful and critical to explore ways to find a more truthful narrative, one that has insight into the fullness of our very human nature, and one that respects and creates healthy boundaries and relationships. A compassionate approach to investigate aspects of self that can feel very dark or shameful is key in providing a safe place to discover the essential core that is good and whole and vibrant in each of us, no matter our past.
You can learn more about the work Mary Jo does — and get a sense of her style — in her conversation with Randy Flood on the Revealing Men podcast.