- Practical coping skills
- Calm conversational style
- Focus on values
About Michael
Michael Peterson is an LCSW based in Illinois who helps people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma, grief, and depression. He also supports people navigating career strain, self-esteem struggles, ADHD, codependency, and relationship or parenting concerns. He creates a calm, nonjudgmental space where people can talk about what feels hard right now.
He uses clear, practical methods in sessions. He draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice values and take small steps that matter. He also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking and Client-Centered Therapy to keep the conversation focused on each person’s experience.
Before working as a therapist, he held roles such as case worker and crisis clinician. Those roles shaped his ability to respond calmly in tense moments and to help people find immediate steps that relieve stress. He has five years of clinical experience as an LCSW in Illinois.
Sessions are conversational and goal-focused. Michael encourages short experiments between meetings, simple mindfulness practices, and motivational interviewing techniques when someone is weighing change. He likes to keep recommendations practical and doable for everyday life.
To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to availability. He communicates in English and is not taking clients outside the United States.
How Michael’s approaches translate to online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small, value-driven steps. It is useful for anxiety, life transitions, and situations where motivation feels stuck. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life experiments. It helps with depression, anxiety, and managing overwhelming thinking. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on the person’s experience, offering a respectful, nonjudgmental stance that supports self-directed change.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Michael will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and daily life. That might mean blending ACT, CBT, and client-centered work so sessions match what the person needs in the moment.
Confirm the available session formats before booking, as specific formats were not listed in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten commute time, and allow quieter, focused check-ins during a lunch break or between obligations. It also supports continuing work after a move or during life transitions where maintaining momentum matters. Licensed professionals adapt techniques like brief behavioral experiments and mindfulness practices so they can be used effectively between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Credentials
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Michael commonly address?
He works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and related issues such as self-esteem, ADHD, and codependency.
How would you describe his therapy style?
Sessions are conversational and goal-focused. He uses straightforward techniques and short between-session experiments to help people make visible progress.
What is his professional background?
He has five years of clinical experience as an LCSW and previously filled roles such as case worker and crisis clinician, which inform his practical approach.
Where is he licensed and practicing?
He holds an Illinois LCSW and practices in Illinois.
Does he offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. He is not accepting international clients at this time.
What formats are available for sessions?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as specific formats were not listed in the available information.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started if I want to work with him?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.