Michael Anderson , LICSW

Michael Anderson brings a distinct combination of lived experience and clinical training to his therapeutic work. After spending 25 years in blue-collar heavy industry as a millwright, he navigated his own struggles with depression, anxiety, addiction, and difficult relationships, a journey that informed his decision to pursue mental health work. He is a masters-level LICSW, which stands for Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, and he has six years of professional experience supporting people through similar challenges.

Michael approaches therapy with practicality and creativity, drawing on tools from Dialectical Behavior Therapy with an emphasis on mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address patterned thoughts and behaviors, trauma-informed care that centers what happened to a person, somatic-focused methods, and targeted anger-management strategies. He also brings interests in spirituality, mindfulness, and performance work to his practice and expresses his own creative side through singing and photography.

His practice focuses on a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, LGBT issues, relationship and family challenges, grief and intimacy-related difficulties, eating and sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem, career transitions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and coping with life changes. Michael frames therapy as a collaborative process of self-discovery and growth, helping people move past impasses and resistance so they can develop a stronger foundation for personal fulfillment.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Michael Anderson frequently uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify and shift the thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to stress, anxiety, depression, and recurring unhelpful cycles. CBT is practical and skills-based, useful for addressing day-to-day symptoms and improving coping. He also integrates Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which emphasizes mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness - skills that are helpful for managing intense emotions, relationship conflict, and impulse-related difficulties. Additionally, he may draw on Emotionally-Focused Therapy to help partners and individuals explore core emotions and attachment needs that shape relationships.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic work. Michael collaborates with each person to assess needs, goals, and personal preferences, adapting methods over time so the treatment fits the individual rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all model.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to engage consistently while balancing work, family, and life demands. These formats offer flexibility in scheduling, allow sessions from home or elsewhere, and support a range of communication styles so people can find what works best for their therapeutic progress.