Michael Anderson , LICSW

Michael Anderson began his professional life in heavy industry, spending twenty-five years working as a millwright. During that time he navigated personal struggles with depression, anxiety, addiction, failed relationships, and a persistent sense of unrealized potential. Those experiences became the impetus for a long personal and professional journey toward greater self-understanding and purpose.

Today he is a master's-level Licensed Clinical Social Worker, credentialed as an LICSW. This designation indicates a clinically trained social worker authorized to provide independent therapeutic services. Alongside his clinical training, Michael explores creative expression as a professional singer and photographer, viewing creativity as an important part of personal growth.

His work centers on guiding others through resistance, impasses, and the patterns that keep people stuck. He draws on evidence-informed tools including dialectical behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral strategies, trauma-informed perspectives that shift the focus from blame to understanding what happened, somatic-oriented techniques, and targeted anger management approaches. Michael supports concerns such as stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, relationship and family issues, grief, intimacy and body-image struggles, career transitions, and challenges related to ADHD and compassion fatigue.

Rooted in a belief that each person has a gift to discover and share, Michael emphasizes mindfulness, spirituality, and practical skills for coping and performance. He frames therapy as a process of building a stronger foundation for personal growth and ongoing self-discovery.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Michael integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy into his online work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps clients identify and change unhelpful patterns of thought and behavior, and is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emphasizes skills in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness, making it useful for intense emotions, relationship difficulties, and coping with overwhelming states.

He also draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) to help people explore attachment patterns and deepen emotional connection within relationships. EFT is useful for couples and individuals who want to understand how emotions shape interactions and to build more secure bonds.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Michael works with clients to match techniques to their goals, needs, and preferences, adjusting strategies over time as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit varied schedules and life demands. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, access consistent support during transitions, and integrate therapeutic work into day-to-day life while working with licensed professionals and therapists.