- Practical skill building
- Support for LGBT people
- Trauma informed care
About Matthew
Matthew Dugan is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) with more than two decades of experience. He helps people facing depression, anxiety, substance use concerns, trauma, and relationship struggles. He also supports LGBT clients navigating coming out and related challenges. Matthew practices in South Carolina and speaks English.
Matthew approaches therapy in a direct, practical way. He uses client-centered work to hear each person's goals. He draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to spot and change unhelpful thinking. He also uses DBT skills and EMDR when those fit a person's needs.
Sessions focus on reducing suffering and building a life worth living. He often helps people manage stress, grief, intimacy issues, and the emotional fallout after disasters. Matthew can work with people dealing with addictions, bipolar mood concerns, and compassion fatigue.
Over his career he has spent many years supporting people with serious and persistent mental illness and co-occurring problems. That background shapes how he plans safety, crisis response, and long-term coping strategies. He aims for clear therapy goals and practical steps between sessions.
People who start with Matthew should expect straightforward talk, skill practice, and attention to what the client wants to change. He frames therapy as a collaborative effort and checks in about progress as treatment continues.
How therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy places the client's goals and priorities at the center of sessions. Online, that means the therapist listens, reflects, and helps shape goals you care about. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical skills to change patterns that cause distress; it can be used to address anxiety, depression, and stress in structured online sessions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy adds skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and better interpersonal communication and is helpful when people struggle with intense emotions or relationship conflicts.Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to assess your needs, try methods that fit your goals, and adjust based on what helps. You and the therapist decide together which approaches to emphasize as the work unfolds.
Confirm available session formats before booking since current options may change. When offered, online message work can be useful for short check-ins and reflections; phone sessions may suit a quick appointment or lower bandwidth needs; and video or live chat allow more in-the-moment conversation and skill practice. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a daily routine and to follow through on homework and coping skills without requiring extra travel.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
23+ years
Credentials
South Carolina
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Matthew commonly address?
He works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, relationship and family problems, grief, and coping with life changes including coping with natural or human-caused disaster.
How would you describe his approach in sessions?
He uses a client-centered style alongside cognitive behavioral tools and dialectical behavior therapy skills to set goals and practice new behaviors during and between sessions.
What kind of experience does he bring?
Matthew has 23 years of experience, including work with people who have serious and persistent mental illness and co-occurring conditions.
What credentials and location are on record?
He holds the LPC credential (Licensed Professional Counselor) and practices in South Carolina.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
The original biography lists online messaging, live chat, phone, and video sessions in the therapist's practice notes; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled for services?
Fees vary with location and therapist availability and use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule based on the therapist's availability.