- CBT techniques
- Trauma focus
- Client-centered work
About Donald
Donald Mattson is an LPC - a Licensed Professional Counselor - with 20 years of clinical experience based in Michigan. He works with adults on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, plus mood difficulties and life transitions.
Mattson uses direct, practical methods in sessions. He offers clear tools people can try between appointments. Conversations focus on what is keeping someone stuck and on small, manageable changes that reduce daily strain.
His background includes two decades of clinical work and publications in the expressive arts. He has written about anxiety tools and draws on multiple ways of working to suit each person's needs. This includes approaches that look at thoughts, behavior, and past patterns that still affect present life.
Sessions combine short-term skill building with deeper attention to history and meaning when that is useful. Therapy can include practical skill practice, checking how strategies worked, and adjusting plans as life shifts. Progress is tracked in concrete steps rather than abstract goals.
People who come to him often want help with panic, obsessive thoughts, post-traumatic stress, or the general pressure of early adult life such as feeling lost after school or overwhelmed by work and relationships. He encourages straightforward conversation and real-world strategies to make daily life more manageable.
Approaches and how online sessions can work
Client-centered therapy focuses on the person's experience and priorities. It involves listening, reflecting, and helping the person identify their own next steps. This approach helps when someone needs a steady, accepting conversation to sort out what matters most.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors that maintain anxiety or low mood. It uses concrete exercises such as tracking thoughts, testing beliefs, and practicing new behaviors to reduce panic, obsessive thoughts, or avoidance.
Trauma-focused work addresses the effects of past harm on current functioning. It blends skills to manage strong reactions with exploration of how traumatic events shape daily responses and relationships.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to pick methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences, and will adjust strategies as progress is reviewed.
If you plan to meet online, confirm the session formats available before booking since the biography does not list specific options. Online appointments can make it easier to fit therapy around school, work, or caregiving duties, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. Licensed professionals can use different ways of meeting to help sessions fit everyday life without requiring major changes to daily routines.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
Michigan, Wisconsin
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does he help with?
He works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, plus mood difficulties and life transitions such as feeling empty, isolated, or stuck.
What is his therapy style like?
Sessions are direct and practical, combining skill teaching with discussion of patterns that keep someone stuck. He uses short-term strategies and deeper conversation when needed.
How much experience does he have?
He has 20 years of clinical experience working with adults on anxiety, trauma, mood issues, and life transitions.
What are his credentials and where is he based?
He is an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor - with licensure in Michigan.
Can I work with him if I live outside the United States?
He does not accept international clients at this time; sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with him?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.