Michael SoutherlandLMFT

Michael Southerland is a licensed marriage and family therapist who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, and intimacy concerns. He works with clients navigating LGBT-related issues and relationship difficulties. Michael encourages people to notice their own strengths and take practical steps toward feeling steadier and more satisfied in daily life.

He believes each person is the expert on their own story. Sessions focus on listening first, then building on what already works. Michael uses straightforward, collaborative conversations to set clear goals and find useful changes that fit each person’s life.

Michael draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking and try different behavior experiments. He also uses Client-Centered Therapy to create a respectful, nonjudgmental space where clients guide the pace and topics. Narrative Therapy helps people reframe difficult chapters and consider alternative meanings.

Over 12 years of practice in California, Michael has supported people through a wide range of concerns including abandonment, attachment, body image, addiction, and eating-related issues. He values practical problem solving alongside deeper meaning work when needed.

Sessions move at the client’s rhythm and focus on realistic steps. Michael asks questions, reflects what he hears, and helps people test new ways of coping. He aims to make therapy feel relevant to everyday life and to help people build tools they can use long after sessions end.

How Michael’s Approaches Translate to Online Work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following the client’s pace. In practice that means conversations where the client guides topics and the therapist reflects what he hears to help clarify feelings and choices. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect and uses simple experiments to test new ways of thinking and behaving. CBT is often useful for anxiety, stress, and mood concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Michael will talk with each person about goals and preferences and suggest techniques that match their needs. That way clients help shape whether sessions emphasize problem-solving, meaning-making, or both.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, reduce commute time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. They can also help people keep regular momentum between appointments. Michael aims to use approaches that translate clearly to remote conversations, focusing on practical steps, thoughtful questions, and homework that fits everyday routines.