Dr. David Mathews, LICSW

Dr. David Mathews is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) practicing in Minnesota with 35 years of experience. He works with adults who bring concerns such as anger, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, parenting stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, intimacy issues, and self-esteem struggles.

He focuses on clear, practical conversations rather than clinical jargon. Sessions typically explore what happens in everyday life - triggers, patterns, and how people try to cope. He aims to create a straightforward professional relationship grounded in mutual respect and direct feedback.

Dr. Mathews draws on cognitive behavioral ideas to identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. He also uses attachment-based perspectives to look at how early and current close relationships influence reactions, including angry responses. Emotionally-Focused Therapy helps with moments where feelings drive interaction and communication breaks down.

In practice he combines those approaches with broader developmental and social perspectives. That means looking at family and community contexts alongside individual coping skills. He emphasizes non-stigmatizing language and treats people with respect while addressing difficult behavior patterns.

He asks clients to be active in planning therapy. Conversations move between practical skill-building and looking at underlying relational dynamics. People who want clearer responses to anger, less reactivity in relationships, and more reliable ways to handle stress may find this direct, experience-informed style helpful.

How his approaches translate to online sessions