Matthew Christensen
Supportive LCSW for practical family and relationship work
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Experience
- 13 years
- Licensed in
- Idaho
- Languages
- English
- Format
- Online sessions
About Matthew
Matthew Christensen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 13 years of experience. He focuses on practical help for people dealing with stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, and parenting concerns. Matthew speaks plainly and moves at a pace that feels safe for each person.
He aims to create a respectful space where people can talk through immediate problems and set simple goals. Matthew uses a person-centered style that keeps the client in charge of the process.
Background and approach
He draws on therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help with unhelpful thoughts and patterns. He also uses techniques from Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Therapy when relationships or strong emotions are central to the work. Sessions often begin with what’s causing the most trouble right now.
Matthew helps identify small steps that lead to clearer routines, calmer reactions, or better communication. He can also support work around parenting, addiction concerns, trauma, ADHD, and mood problems. He practices in Idaho as an LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - and conducts sessions in English.
Matthew is comfortable using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging so people can choose what fits their life. He appreciates the courage it takes to seek help and focuses on steady, practical progress. For those who prefer short-term goal work or longer support, Matthew matches the method to the need.
He invites people to start with a short matching questionnaire and schedule a session to see how the approach fits their situation.
Therapeutic approaches for online family and relationship work
Matthew commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in online sessions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them and then choose actions that match their values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical skills to reduce anxiety and improve mood.He also draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy when relationship patterns are the focus. EFT helps people understand and change how they respond to each other so connection and trust can grow. Together, these approaches give options for handling symptoms, improving communication, and making choices that fit each persons life.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Matthew works with clients to identify goals, try methods, and adjust the plan based on what actually helps. He aims to match interventions to the persons needs and preferences rather than using a single fixed method.
Online therapy offers flexibility for busy schedules and different comfort levels. Video calls let people work face to face, phone sessions remove the need for video, and live chat or text-based messaging support shorter check-ins or ongoing coaching. These options make it easier to fit therapy into daily life while keeping the focus on practical progress.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.
Client-Centered Therapy
The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Fatherhood issues
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intellectual disability
- Intimacy-related issues
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Parenting issues
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Gottman Method
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Experience
- 13 years
- Licensed
- Idaho
- Languages
- English
Next step
Talk to Matthew
- Takes a few minutes
- Nothing to set up just to look
- Stop at any point