Piyush Patel
Ph.D. Candidate, M.S.

Philosophy
Piyush believes that therapy is a space where people can lay down the armor they’ve carried through their daily lives and begin to reconnect with themselves, their partners, and their deeper desires and concerns. Whether you’re feeling stuck in old patterns, navigating the complexities of intimacy, or simply trying to make sense of who you are, therapy with Piyush is a collaborative, nonjudgmental journey toward clarity and connection.

Drawing from a psychodynamic perspective, Piyush helps clients explore how past experiences and relational dynamics shape present-day behaviors, emotions, and relationships. With couples, he integrates IMAGO Relationship Therapy to move from conflict toward genuine understanding, empathy, and renewed partnership. His approach is affirming, curious, and grounded in the belief that every person holds the capacity for insight, growth, and healing.

Piyush is especially passionate about supporting couples, LGBTQIA+, kink-affirming clients, and entrepreneurs whose high-achieving identities may obscure underlying emotional and relational needs. He sees therapy as both a courageous and restorative act that can support healing, curiosity, and wholeness.

Education and Credentials
Piyush is completing a Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology through the International Institute of Clinical Sexology. He is concurrently earning a Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Southern Nazarene University. Piyush holds sex therapy certifications from the Modern Sex Therapy Institute, the Sex Therapy Training Institute, and the Therapist Certification Association. He is also a Certified Kink Conscious Therapist and EMDR-trained therapist and is pursuing his transgender care certification. His clinical training and continuing education reflect his commitment to culturally competent, trauma-informed, and sex-positive care.

Professional Experience and Areas of Practice
Before entering the mental health field, Piyush built a nationally recognized career as an entrepreneur and educator. As the founder of numerous successful businesses, he has mentored leaders and teams for decades, an experience that deeply informs his work with clients navigating professional stress, identity, and belonging.

In therapy, Piyush works with individuals and couples experiencing relational distress, sexual concerns, grief, anxiety, and identity development. He is affirming of diverse expressions of gender, sexuality, and relationship structures, and centers on each client’s dignity and autonomy. Piyush also volunteers at Calm Waters, facilitating support groups for grief and suicide loss.

To contact Piyush, please call 405-913-6128 or email ppatel455@mail.snu.edu.