Peter Century, LSW
Mental health therapist Little Italy Cleveland
Little Italy, Cleveland | Virtual Across Ohio, Coaching Nationwide
I work with high-functioning adults and couples who are smart enough to understand their problems — and frustrated enough to finally do something about them. My approach is direct, honest, and built around one thing: real change, not just better coping.
From Performance to Presence
My interest in therapy grew out of a fascination with the hidden patterns that shape how we talk, connect, and drift apart. Before training as a therapist, my background in Marketing and Management at Yeshiva University gave me a front-row seat to the heavy toll of performance identity and high-stakes pressure. I saw how easily high-functioning adults excel outwardly while feeling completely disconnected internally, eventually leading to profound burnout and relationship strain.
This exposure to the silent struggle beneath success led me to pursue my Master of Social Work at Walden University. Today, as a Licensed Social Worker in Ohio (under clinical supervision), I utilize these 8 years in the mental health field to help people move beneath surface-level functioning. My work focuses on communication patterns, emotional shutdown, and relationship cycles—creating a direct, collaborative space where awareness leads to real, grounded movement.
Education
Yeshiva University — Sy Syms School of Buisness
B.S. in Marketing & Management 2018
Walden University — Master of Social Work 2022
Clinical
If you have the wrong theory, you get the wrong therapy.
We will make sure we have the theory correct that is going on with you
Licensure
Licensed Social Worker. Ohio Counsoler, Social Worker, and MFT Board S.2309034 — Under Clinical Supervision, Patti Napolitano Licensed by State of Ohio / I.1700099-SUPV
This rare combination of clinical social work training and high-stakes corporate management allows me to effectively navigate the complexities of identity, role conflict, and chronic stress. I don't just see individuals or couples—I see the systems they inhabit and the patterns that either support or erode their well-being.
What therapy with me actually feels like.
Therapy with me is designed to feel like an honest, grounded, and useful conversation. I focus on creating a space where we can slow down enough to actually see the patterns that keep you stuck. My approach is direct but deeply compassionate—I’m not here to just listen passively while you vent; I’m here to collaborate with you on identifying the specific cycles that are eroding your emotional safety and relationship dynamics.
I help high-functioning adults and couples who intellectually understand their challenges but feel unable to shift their reactive nervous system responses in the moment. By slowing down the cycle, we create the room needed for accountability without shame. We integrate evidence-based frameworks like the Gottman Method, Imago, and IFS-informed work to help you stop simply Surviving your life and start moving through it with clarity and authentic connection.
A Glimpse Into Our Sessions
- Direct Conversations: Compassionate feedback that cuts through the noise.
- Cycles of Movement: Shifting away from endless venting toward practical implementation.
- Nervous System Safety: Slowing down reactivity to make difficult conversations possible.
- ADHD Dynamics: Untangling how neurodivergence impacts communication and burnout.
- Relational Repair: Rebuilding trust and intimacy without passivity or shame.
- Real-Time Accountability: Tools to catch and change patterns as they happen in session.
What Work with Me Actually Feels Like
Direct Conversations
We slow down enough to catch reactive cycles in real time. My style is direct but compassionate, creating a space where accountability and emotional safety coexist without passive listening.
Relational Safety
Whether navigating infidelity recovery or ADHD dynamics, we focus on rebuilding communication. I help partners truly hear each other, moving past shame into practical, lasting connection.
Nervous System Focus
We shift away from endless venting to understanding nervous system responses. This allows for movement where you previously felt stuck, making difficult conversations feel possible and grounded.
A Few Things I Believe
High-functioning people often struggle privately in ways others never see, carrying an internal weight that doesn’t always match their outward success.
Most couples don’t break suddenly. They slowly stop feeling emotionally safe, eroding through consistent disconnection and the loss of movement.
Insight matters, but movement changes lives. Intellectual understanding alone cannot rebuild a relationship or calm a nervous system.
People don’t need more shame. They need clarity. Growth requires accountability, but it flourishes in an environment free from judgment.
The People I Support
Couples Feeling Disconnected
For partners who have lost the pulse of their relationship and feel stuck in reactive cycles. We work to rediscover emotional safety and genuine expressiveness.
High-Functioning Anxiety
For professionals who perform at a high level while carrying a constant internal hum of worry. We address the root of performance identity and restlessness.
Infidelity Recovery & Repair
Specialized support for betrayed trust. We navigate the intensive work of rebuilding safety and understanding after a major relational breach.
ADHD Relationship Dynamics
Navigating the unique friction of neurodivergent partnerships. We work to break exhausting parent-child cycles and build systems that respect both personalities.
Emotionally Shut-Down Men
A direct, relational space to move past shutdown. I help men build a more expressive, honest way of being with themselves and their partners.
Burnout & Performance Identity
For professionals whose identity is deeply tied to their success. We work to regain internal health and reclaim a sense of self beyond the job.
Awareness changes patterns. Clarity changes relationships.
You don’t have to stay stuck in the same cycle. Reach out to discuss couples therapy in Cleveland, ADHD support, or virtual relationship counseling across Ohio.