Matthew Christensen
Calm, practical therapist focused on relationships
LCSW Idaho
- Experience
- 13 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse
- Approaches
- Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Matthew
Matthew Christensen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 13 years of experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, and relationship strain. He practices in Idaho and works in a calm, down-to-earth style that many people find easy to talk with.
Background and approach
He aims to meet clients where they are and move at a pace that feels manageable. Matthew combines practical skills with a person-centered attitude.
Sessions focus on clear goals and small steps people can try between meetings. He uses tools from cognitive behavioral approaches to notice patterns, and he draws on acceptance-oriented strategies to help people live around difficult thoughts and feelings.
For relationship concerns he uses ideas from the Gottman Method to improve communication and reduce repeated conflict patterns. He also incorporates techniques from dialectical behavior therapy when emotion regulation or intense reactions get in the way of daily life.
Matthew has worked with a wide range of concerns including ADHD, depression, grief, parenting stress, intimacy-related issues, and addiction. He also addresses caregiver strain, chronic health challenges, codependency, and questions around non-monogamous relationships.
His approach is straightforward and focused on what will change day-to-day life. People who choose Matthew often want practical strategies and an accepting space to try them.
He encourages collaboration and keeps steps small so progress feels doable. He respects each person’s pace while helping them move toward clearer choices and steadier functioning.
How online therapy and approach fit together
Matthew often uses the Gottman Method ideas to help partners improve communication and reduce recurring conflict. Gottman-informed work centers on practical communication techniques, rebuilding trust, and creating routines that reduce hurtful patterns in relationships.He also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which teaches people to notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them while taking actions that match their values. ACT can help with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and lingering stress by shifting focus toward meaningful action. In addition, he draws on Client-Centered Therapy, which emphasizes a warm, nonjudgmental stance that helps people feel heard and make their own choices about change.
Finding the right approach is a team process. Matthew will talk with the client about goals, try methods that fit those goals, and adjust based on what helps. He aims to be collaborative, listening to feedback and blending approaches so therapy matches each person's needs.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and skill practice, phone sessions work well when less bandwidth is available, live chat can be used for focused check-ins, and messaging supports shorter updates or ongoing coaching between sessions. These options make it possible to work on relationship skills, emotion regulation, and acceptance-based practice in ways that fit everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
13+ years
Licensed in
Idaho
Languages
English