Steve Merritt has over 40 years of experience in working with youth, holds a Masters Degree in Counseling and is Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington State, with over 30,000 hours of counseling experience.

Steve was the owner of Steve Merritt Counseling LLC, where he worked with adolescents and their families. His counseling practice included adult individual counseling and marriage counseling.

Having lived in the Skagit Valley area since 1982, Steve has worked with literally thousands of teenagers. He has traveled extensively teaching parenting adolescent seminars as well as youth, marriage and men’s retreats. From 1982 to 1989 Steve was a part-time backpacking, rock climbing, mountain climbing, cross-country skiing and white-water raft guide.

From 1996 to 2000 Steve served as the Dean of Students and Adjunct Professor for a Graduate School in Seattle. He taught Counseling, Adolescent Psychology and Adolescent Counseling courses.

Steve was on faculty for Trinity Western University/Bellingham Campus for over a decade where he taught, Adolescent Psychology, Interpersonal and Helping Skills, and Counseling Theories classes.

He has authored six cover articles and over 120 personal growth column articles and was a Contributing Editor for GROUP Magazine for over 10 years

Steve lives on beautiful Fidalgo Island with his wife of 41 years and has two grown children.