01 · Who Matt works with

Matt works with relationship issues, family conflicts and trauma and abuse

Matt lists 14 specialisms and 24 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Matt chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Matt's own words

What Matt says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

The Initiation of counseling illustrates that an individual is ready to explore the possibilities of growth and refocusing on their strengths. Gaining the courage to attend the first session can be a major hurdle as we acknowledge that we are vulnerable and something is not working in our best interest. With the stigmatism of mental health, many individuals feel that if they seek counseling they may damaged. This is not the case. Counseling is about individuals seeking a safe environment in which they are able to be supported and gain skills to be able to function more optimally in which their lives can be so much more fulfilling. Change is fostered through acceptance and connection. Reconnecting relationships is a major agent of change, whether between the therapist and the individual, parents and their children, or between partners. My goal is to provide a nonjudgmental relationship that will allow for individuals, couples and families to foster healing, growth and repair. I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) who is certified in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) while also using rapid resolution therapy (RRT) and accelerated resolution therapy (ART) to eliminate the persistent symptoms left over from experiencing a traumatic event. I employ The Gottman Method with couples and play therapy with children. I also treat sexual and pornography addictions as I’m a certified sexual addictions treatment provider (SATP-C). I focus on various other modalities of therapy such as solutions focused therapy, logotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in order for the client to be able to manage stress, anxiety and depression in a more adaptive manner.

Matt Givens , on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Matt works

The 6 approaches Matt lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Matt lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Matt's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Matt runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

The Gottman Method

A couples approach built on decades of observational research into what distinguishes relationships that last. Structured and assessment-led: it maps friendship, conflict and shared meaning, then works on the specific mechanics of how the two of you argue.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Existential Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Matt practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Matt's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Matt at this point.

2. Naming Matt specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Matt is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Matt.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Matt

Built from what Matt actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Matt's - Matt has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 16 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LIMFT

Licensed in

Indiana

Licence

OH LIMFT F.1100016, IN LMFT 35001663A

Licence number

35001663A

Licence expires

1 Apr 2028

NPI

1962754523

Years in practice

16

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Matt's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Matt. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.