01 · Who Matthew works with

Matthew works with trauma and abuse, addictions and grief

Matthew lists 5 specialisms and 4 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Matthew chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Matthew's own words

What Matthew says about the work

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

Welcome!

My name is Matt Poje, LPCC. I specialize in the healing of emotional trauma, using the Instinctual Trauma Response method (ITR). I have 15 years working with Veterans via Department of Defense contracts, and over 23 yrs of professional work experience. I am licensed in CA and WI. The ITR method uses over 100 years of neuroscience to help heal the brain. Since ITR uses neuroscience, you will learn the steps of the ITR method that will help you to become more resilient.

ITR is not talk therapy in the classical sense. ITR is a focused, purposeful method of trauma healing and proven to work. If you are ready to work on a proven method of reducing symptoms of trauma, I look forward to work with you.

I do not perform diagnostic tests. I use screening tools, and therefore will not provide any letters to employers or court systems.

Before scheduling a session, watch the ITR video:

https://vimeo.com/752151441

Matthew Poje, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Matthew works

The 2 approaches Matthew lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Matthew lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Matthew'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 Matthew runs a session.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Matthew 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 Matthew'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 Matthew at this point.

2. Naming Matthew specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Matthew 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 Matthew.

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

3 questions worth asking Matthew

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

• “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 20 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

LPCC

Licensed in

California

Licence

CA LPCC 11515, WI LPC 4911-125

Licence number

11515

Licence expires

31 May 2028

NPI

1861887788

Years in practice

20

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Matthew'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 9 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 Matthew. 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.