Michael Anderson
LAMFT
Michael’s journey to becoming a therapist was not what he had originally planned.
He was busy working as a Seminary teacher in high schools across Utah County, when he began to realize just how much the family dynamic could influence how teenagers saw themselves and the world.
This was the spark he needed to completely change careers and focus on helping to repair and enrich family relationships through therapy.
Since taking the leap, Michael has developed a particular interest in connecting with couples looking to enhance their relationship.
Michael firmly believes that the couple relationship is where everything starts in the family – when the couple is experiencing fulfillment, then it completely changes the way they teach, love, and interact with their children.
Michael believes in the power of vulnerability, and seeks to help his clients view themselves with a lens of compassion rather than shame.
This belief has led to Michael thoroughly enjoying working with couples struggling with betrayal trauma, addiction, pornography, or any other trial that tests a couple’s ability to step away from shame and step toward hope.
One of the most satisfying experiences Michael has is when he witnesses couples seeing and understanding one another in a new way.
That being said, Michael also loves helping couples work through issues ranging from communication barriers, attachment injuries, boundary-setting, to parenting techniques.
He pulls heavily from Emotionally-Focused Therapy interventions that get to the heart of the matter with couples – changing the way they experience one another emotionally.
In addition to couples, he still enjoys connecting with young adults and adolescents.
His days of being a Seminary teacher helped him develop a comfortability with youth, and he loves helping them to change their outlooks on life and find inner strength.
He also understands the importance of creating a safe space where they feel comfortable opening up, and he tries to use a blend of humor and empathy to help his youth clients feel understood.
Recognizing that anxiety and depression are extremely common struggles that teenagers face, Michael finds great fulfillment in helping his clients work through the distress and fears that these issues create.
Michael draws from Narrative Therapy principles that are centered on helping clients to change the way they see themselves so that they can change the way they are experiencing their world.
He also draws upon Acceptance and Commitment Therapy principles that encourage clients to bravely explore their emotions and to not be afraid of them.
Michael’s approach to therapy focuses on helping the client to feel safe and understood, while also pushing them to view aspects of life in different ways.
He firmly believes that the most growth occurs when we step outside of our comfort zones just enough to discover who we truly are.
He also believes that life is for laughing, and he does not underestimate the power that humor has in the therapy room.
Combining empathy with humor is what he tries to do with his clients to create a space where the client can tap into their own unique strengths for real change.
Lets face it, who likes to talk about their crap with other people?
If you’re like most clients, you’re used to being judged despite hearing so many people talk about non judgment and when you do open up, it seems like the more you share, the less likely you are to get compassion.
We’ve worked our butts off to create a clinic where the unfiltered, real you, can show up and heal, so dammit give therapy a chance!
We love the unfiltered real you, let’s heal together. – Utah Family Therapy Team
