Matthew Schwer, LICSW

Matthew Schwer is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with five years of professional experience in Minnesota. He focuses on practical help for common struggles like stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, family conflict, and bipolar disorder. He aims to make the first step feel manageable and affirms clients for seeking help.

Matthew keeps sessions straightforward and conversational. He creates a calm space where people can talk about upsetting thoughts and difficult feelings without judgment. Sessions emphasize listening first, then working together on small changes that add up over time.

He uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as a core approach to identify unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors. He also draws on client-centered methods to follow each person’s values and pace, and incorporates skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy to manage intense emotions when needed. Mindfulness and motivational interviewing are available tools to increase awareness and build motivation.

Typical work includes helping people learn coping strategies, improve communication, and rebuild routines that support mood and stability. Matthew also addresses concerns such as attachment and abandonment worries, body image, guilt and shame, and issues that affect men's mental health. He is open about pacing work to fit each person’s readiness and goals.

Clients can expect collaborative planning, short-term goals, and practical homework between sessions. Matthew aims to guide people toward clearer choices and steadier days while respecting their values and life context.

Approaches that translate well to online care

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms. It offers concrete tools that work well in video or phone sessions where homework and practice can be assigned between meetings.

Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and collaboration. This approach lets the therapist follow the person’s concerns and pace, which fits online formats where conversation and emotional support are the main work. Dialectical Behavior Therapy adds practical skills for managing strong emotions and improving distress tolerance, useful when someone needs clear techniques to use between contacts.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and will try methods together to see what helps most. Decisions about techniques and pacing are made collaboratively, with adjustments over time.

Online sessions offer flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video allows face-to-face conversation and screen-shared worksheets, phone calls are an option when bandwidth is limited, live chat can suit quick check-ins, and text messaging supports short updates or ongoing coaching. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, family, and other routines.