Michael Hutchinson, LMHC

Therapeutic approaches and how they translate to online care

Existential Therapy invites people to talk about meaning, choice, and how they want to live. In sessions this might look like discussing values, confronting difficult decisions, or making sense of loss and emptiness to move toward clearer action.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on accepting difficult feelings while committing to value-based action. It helps with anxiety, depression, trauma responses, and life transitions by teaching skills to notice thoughts and choose actions that matter.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship where the client's perspective leads the work. That approach supports people who need space to reflect, to be heard, and to build confidence in their own choices.

Finding the right blend of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. The therapist will work collaboratively to identify methods that fit the client's needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting methods as progress is made.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video works well for in-depth conversations, phone can be useful when bandwidth is limited, live chat is helpful for brief check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or busy schedules.