Practitioner record · Checked 7 Oct 2026
Michael Henderson has been in practice 16 years and is licensed in Virginia. Michael lists stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and self esteem among 53 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Michael's own BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a rating.
01 · Who Michael works with
Michael lists 5 specialisms and 48 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Michael chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.
02 · In Michael's own words
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
My name is Mike Henderson, and I have been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for 16 years, with 25 years of experience in behavioral health. Since entering the profession, I have worked in inpatient hospitalization systems, community behavioral health centers, and as an outpatient therapist, gaining invaluable experience working with a broad range of mental health diagnoses. Over the years, I have developed an excellent clinical toolbox of treatment approaches and community resources through networking and being on the front line. I am open to seeing adults across the lifespan. I enjoy working with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds, and my approach is trauma-informed and LGBTQIA affirming.
My approach I utilize concepts from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing when working with clients who struggle with a multitude of concerns. These concerns include, but are not limited to, trauma, depression, anxiety, stress management, career-related concerns, substance abuse, men’s issues, life transitions, relationship issues, and issues related to medical diagnoses.
My focus My ideal clients arrive with concerns that include, but are not limited to, trauma, depression, anxiety, stress management, career-related concerns, substance abuse, men’s issues, life transitions, relationship issues, and issues related to medical diagnoses. My approach is to learn your background during the intake process, build a trusting therapeutic relationship, identify your goals for therapy, and assist you in reaching those goals by identifying and working through barriers to health, safety, and happiness.
My communication style My communication style is initially subtle, but as we build therapeutic rapport and identify your therapeutic and life goals, I will become more direct in my approach to assisting you in finding ways to address any barriers to success.
My goals for you Goal attainment is a collaborative process where I help you work to identify your goals for therapy and barriers to those goals while considering your life history and current circumstances. Therapy is about you and assisting you in making decisions and addressing maladaptive thought processes and behaviors from complex life histories. The client is in the driver's seat, and I will help to map out the course to get to the desired destination.
Michael Henderson, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026
03 · What happens next
Michael 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 Michael's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.
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 Michael at this point.
BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Michael 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 Michael.
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.
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.
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.
04 · Before you commit
Built from what Michael actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Michael's - Michael 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 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.
05 · Practical details
06 · Provenance
Michael'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 Michael. 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.
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