Michael Tidstrand, LPCC

Michael Tidstrand offers calm, practical support for people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and big life changes. He makes space for honest conversation and helps people sort through hard feelings without judgment. Michael is an LPCC - Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor - and brings ten years of clinical experience to his work.

He focuses on helping people notice how thoughts, emotions, and actions connect. Sessions use straightforward tools from cognitive behavioral approaches and mindfulness to build everyday coping skills. The aim is to make changes that feel doable, not overwhelming.

Michael draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas to clarify values and guide decisions. He also uses attachment-based perspectives to look at how relationships shape emotional responses. These approaches are mixed with a client-centered stance that keeps the person's experience and goals in view.

In sessions he listens, asks curious questions, and reflects back what he hears so people feel understood. He works with concerns like compassion fatigue, low self-esteem, bipolar mood challenges, and attention issues by setting practical steps between meetings. The focus is on small, consistent changes that add up.

Michael practices in California and communicates in English. He welcomes people who want a thoughtful, steady collaborator to help them move toward clearer priorities and better coping.

How therapeutic approaches work online

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on spotting unhelpful thought patterns and trying concrete behavior changes to reduce distress and improve daily functioning. It is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and attention-related problems. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify what matters to them and take actions aligned with those values while learning to sit with difficult feelings. This approach can help when life changes feel overwhelming. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current relationship patterns influence emotional reactions and connection to others, and it can be useful when relationship dynamics or trust issues are central concerns.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped in the past. Together they will try approaches that fit the person’s needs and adjust the plan over time based on what works in practice.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which let people choose what fits their schedule and comfort. Video is useful for deeper weekly work and visual cues, phone calls can be a simpler option with lower bandwidth needs, and chat or text sessions suit brief check-ins or times when typing feels easier. These options make it simpler to maintain consistency and access care from different locations and daily routines.