About Pastoral Counseling Service in Milwaukee, WI

Over 30 Years Serving Individual Adults and Couples in Milwaukee

Pastoral Counseling Service is a locally owned counseling practice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Steve Fringer provides individual therapy for adults and couples counseling throughout Milwaukee, Brookfield, Elm Grove, West Allis, and Wauwatosa. Steve entered counseling himself at a turning point in his own life—an experience that opened doors and enabled him to wrestle with challenges he hadn't known how to address. That personal journey shaped the next three decades of his professional life and continues to inform how he works with clients today.

Steve brings over 30 years of experience to his work with individual adults and married partners. He uses an emotionally focused therapy approach grounded in attachment-based methods, which means sessions explore how you connect with others, how past relationships shape present patterns, and how emotional safety gets built or broken in partnerships. This isn't advice-giving or symptom management—it's deeper work that addresses the roots of what you're facing.

What sets this practice apart is Steve's comfort and skill in engaging the spiritual dimension of a client's life. He doesn't impose faith or spiritual language, but when clients wish to explore it, he has the training and sensitivity to honor that part of their experience. For some, faith is central to their healing; for others, it doesn't come up at all. Either way, you'll find a safe place where your whole self is welcome.

You work directly with Steve in every session. He sees individual adults and couples only—no family therapy or adolescent counseling—so his focus remains on the unique dynamics of adult relationships and individual growth.

Reach out to learn more about how emotionally focused therapy can help you move forward.

Steve's path to counseling didn't begin in a classroom—it began in a counselor's office, where he sat as a client wrestling with his own struggles. That experience didn't just change his life; it revealed a calling. The doors that opened for him through counseling led him to pursue a career helping others find the same clarity, peace, and growth he discovered in those sessions. That personal history shapes how he listens, how he responds, and what he believes is possible in the counseling relationship.



Milwaukee's diverse communities—from Brookfield's suburban neighborhoods to the close-knit feel of Elm Grove and Wauwatosa—bring a wide range of life experiences into Steve's office. He's worked with clients navigating career transitions, relational conflict, grief, identity questions, and the intersection of faith and doubt. His approach doesn't change based on where you live or what you believe; it adapts to what you need and where you are in your own journey.

Steve's attachment-based approach means he pays close attention to how you relate to others and how those patterns show up in your most important relationships. In couples counseling, that might mean exploring how each partner's history affects how they respond to conflict or closeness. In individual therapy, it might mean understanding why certain situations trigger disproportionate emotional responses. The goal is always the same: to help you see the patterns clearly so you can choose different responses.

What You Experience Working with Steve Fringer

When you work with Pastoral Counseling Service, you're working with someone who, come hell or high water, has your back. Steve approaches every session with quiet confidence and genuine care, creating a healing place where you can speak honestly without fear of judgment. His spiritually aware perspective means he's comfortable exploring faith when it matters to you, but he never pushes it where it doesn't belong. The space he creates is reflective, warm, and safe—qualities that matter deeply when you're facing hard things.

Over 30 years of experience providing individual and couples counseling in the Milwaukee area

Owner-operated practice—you work directly with Steve Fringer in every session

Specializes in emotionally focused therapy and attachment-based approaches

Comfortable engaging the spiritual dimension of clients' lives when desired

Serves individual adults and couples in Milwaukee, Brookfield, Elm Grove, West Allis, and Wauwatosa

If you're looking for a counselor who understands that healing involves more than managing symptoms—someone who sees the whole person and creates space for whatever you bring—contact Pastoral Counseling Service to schedule your first session. Steve is here to walk with you through whatever you're facing.