Michael Peterson, LCSW

Michael Peterson is an Illinois-licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with five years of clinical experience. He helps people manage stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, anger, and related life challenges. Michael works in English and practices from Illinois.

Michael uses straight talk and practical tools in sessions. He draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try small changes. He also uses client-centered methods and mindfulness exercises to slow down strong reactions and increase awareness.

His background includes roles as a case worker, crisis clinician, and therapist. Those different settings shaped how he approaches problems across everyday life, work, and relationships. That experience informs his focus on coping skills for things like career stress, caregiving strain, and substance use concerns.

In sessions he aims to help clients name the problems that cause anger and frustration. He works on skills such as recognizing triggers, shifting unhelpful thoughts, and practicing short grounding or breathing exercises. He also supports people facing relationship tension, parenting stress, or identity-related concerns.

Michael describes the start of therapy as a collaborative process. The first meetings tend to clarify priorities, try a few techniques, and set simple goals for the weeks ahead. He asks clients to track what helps between sessions so progress is visible and practical.

How his approaches translate to online work