Michael Misterka, LCSW-C

Michael Misterka is an LCSW-C (Maryland) with 15 years of clinical experience. He works with adults on stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting concerns, anger, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, and life transitions. He also addresses issues such as ADHD, self-esteem, career questions, and intimacy-related difficulties.

Michael uses a client-centered style that asks people what they want to change and supports their decisions. Sessions focus on practical steps people can try between meetings. He frames therapy as a partnership and encourages honest discussion about the methods being used.

His clinical approach draws from attachment-based ideas, emotionally-focused work, psychodynamic thinking, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused strategies. That blend lets him attend to how past relationships shape present reactions, while also identifying concrete behavioral moves to reduce stress and irritability.

Michael often helps people unpack family of origin patterns, blended family challenges, and fatherhood concerns. He has experience with clients affected by substance use, domestic violence histories, incarceration and reentry, and combat-related readjustment. He pays attention to communication problems, guilt and shame, and isolation or loneliness that can worsen anger and anxiety.

Sessions emphasize clear goals and measurable steps. Conversations typically move between exploring underlying feelings and practicing new ways of responding. People looking to manage temper, rebuild trust, or handle life changes will find a practical, straightforward approach focused on what they want to achieve.

How his approaches translate to online work