Geoff Krone PhD
Geoff is a Michigan Licensed Psychologist. He grew up in East Lansing and did his undergraduate work at Michigan State University, earning a BS in Psychology. He then attended the University of Michigan, where he earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. His graduate training emphasized understanding and working with children and families, and his first professional job was in a psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents. Over the years, Geoff has broadened his interests and he now sees children and adults in roughly equal numbers. The largest single component of his practice involves providing evaluations and counseling for children, teens and adults who may have ADHD or a Specific Learning Disability. He also sees many clients who are dealing with depression (including seasonal affective disorder), anxiety, anger, and relationship difficulties.
Geoff entered full time private practice in 1988, joining Mark Sullivan and Dan Nolan as a member of their group. He became a partner in the group (which became known as Sullivan, Nolan, Krone and Associates) in 1998. At the end of 2012 Geoff relinquished his “partner” status in order to devote more attention to his clinical work and his family, but he remains a valued member of the group.
Geoff entered full time private practice in 1988, joining Mark Sullivan and Dan Nolan as a member of their group. He became a partner in the group (which became known as Sullivan, Nolan, Krone and Associates) in 1998. At the end of 2012 Geoff relinquished his “partner” status in order to devote more attention to his clinical work and his family, but he remains a valued member of the group.
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Geoff and his wife have been together since senior year of high school. They have two sons who make them very proud, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and three fabulous granddaughters. (Caution: Don’t get him started on those granddaughters!!) Geoff also enjoys bicycling, listening to jazz and blues, reading, camping, fishing, hiking and photography. He and his wife are hooked on the scenic beauty and wildlife of Yellowstone National Park, where they’ve been fortunate to spend a couple of weeks hiking every year for quite a while now. (Hope you enjoy the slideshow!)
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Geoff’s personal statement: I realized some time ago that what I do as a psychologist can be summed up very simply: I try to help people figure out how they can make themselves as happy and successful as possible. This is just as true whether my client is seven, seventeen, or fifty-seven.
I can’t make you happier or more successful, but my goal is to help you figure out how you can do that. Sometimes I can suggest new ways of thinking, which can change the way you feel (the most important principle of cognitive therapy). Changing the way you think also opens up new alternatives for coping with situations in ways that might never have occurred to you before. One of the greatest frustrations in life is finding yourself in a situation where you don’t know what to say or do, resulting in feelings of helplessness or anger. At such times, anger can feel preferable to helplessness, but not really by very much. Turning it against yourself just makes you more depressed, but unleashing it against others (or objects) only leads to damaged relationships (or broken things), and then you have to deal with the consequences! I enjoy helping people learn new ways of sticking up for themselves cleanly, calmly and effectively, without falling back on tears or rage. I also enjoy helping people to repair the emotional damage that may have been done by growing up in abusive family situations or by living in abusive relationships.
I still greatly enjoy working with children, but of course the younger the child, the harder it is for them to remember how to apply a new idea they learned in my office when they’re back in the “real world.” (In fact, a young child who could do that probably wouldn’t need therapy in the first place!) Children in early elementary school often benefit more from parenting consultation. When parents learn more effective strategies, everybody benefits. Sometimes I meet with parents and children together for all or part of the session. Even when I am primarily seeing a child or younger teen individually, I invite parents to come in with the child for the first few minutes of each session so they can “clue me in” regarding any issues that would be important for us to talk about that week.
I don’t strive to present myself in a particular way, but many clients have described my style as “laid back” or “easygoing,” which I guess is just being me. I will say that in all those years of advanced education in psychology, I haven't encountered very many truly useful ideas that couldn’t be expressed in plain English. So I’m not a big fan of psychobabble jargon. I’ve studied Freud (Sigmund and Anna), Skinner, and the rest. Their fame is well deserved, but I've learned at least as much from reading William Faulkner and listening to John Coltrane and Ani DiFranco.
Spiritually, morally and ethically it is important for me to try to be equally available to clients of every color, faith, and sexual preference/orientation. I encourage my clients to draw strength and inspiration from their own faith and values, rather than imposing my own. I also welcome, and feel comfortable relating to, clients (both male and female) of any race or sexual orientation. Myself, I’m just a straight white guy from the Midwest. If you mainly need help in figuring out how, or what it means, to be a member of the LGBT community or of another race, I've never personally been there. Race and sexual preference/orientation/gender identity play a huge role in shaping the challenges a person faces and how they're treated. At the same time, I’m pretty convinced that the humanity we all share vastly outweighs the superficial ways we appear to differ. As far as I can tell, we all have pretty much the same feelings, wants and needs, even though society presents each of us with a unique set of challenges and opportunities. I haven't found that knowing the color of a person’s skin or their sexual preference/identity tells you much of what they're really all about.
Finally, I should mention that I am not a recovering individual myself, but have some knowledge of addictions and recovery. Individual psychotherapy is not an adequate treatment for addiction. If you are dealing with an addiction, the first priority is for you to be working a 12-Step program of personal recovery. However, individual therapy can be helpful as an adjunct to 12-Step participation, and I welcome recovering clients who are also seeking individual therapy in support of their recovery.
I am a participating provider ("on panel") with BCBSM, Blue Care Network, U-M Premier Care, PHP and several other insurance companies. If you have questions about insurance coverage, please contact your insurance provider before initiating psychological services.
The best way to reach Dr. Krone is by calling directly at 734-355-3750.
FAXes may be sent to 734-426-0034.
You can also email him at: [email protected]
FAXes may be sent to 734-426-0034.
You can also email him at: [email protected]
