Michael Perkins, LCSW

Michael Perkins is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Missouri with 20 years of clinical practice. He focuses on helping people navigate relationship struggles, parenting challenges, stress, anxiety, and the changes that often come in midlife.

He uses straightforward, practical methods drawn from Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and mindfulness. Sessions tend to focus on clear goals, everyday skills, and small steps that can make daily life feel less overwhelming. He encourages people to notice what is already working in their lives and to build on those strengths.

Michael also brings a long teaching background in social work and human services to his clinical work. That experience informs the way he explains ideas and offers brief reading or activities to try between sessions. Homework can include simple exercises and short readings aimed at skill practice.

In sessions he listens for the client’s priorities and helps shape a plan around them. He frames clients as experts in their own lives and treats therapy as a collaborative process. He commonly addresses topics such as family conflict, self-esteem, trauma and abuse, intimacy issues, anger, career concerns, and ADHD-related struggles.

People considering therapy are invited to think about what they want to change and what is already helping them cope. Michael works with those starting or rethinking life directions, including midlife transitions, and focuses on practical steps to reduce distress and improve daily functioning.

How his approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person's goals and building a plan around their priorities. It emphasizes listening, validation, and working at the client's pace to support change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify unhelpful thoughts and patterns and then practices new behaviors or ways of thinking to reduce anxiety and stress. Mindfulness Therapy teaches attention and awareness skills that can reduce reactivity and improve concentration and emotional balance.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Michael will talk with the client about their needs, goals, and preferences and then try methods that fit those priorities. The process is collaborative and may mix techniques from different approaches as needed.

Confirm current session options before booking, as session formats are not listed here. Online sessions can help fit therapy into a busy week by reducing travel time and allowing shorter check-ins when helpful. They also make it easier to keep consistent appointments, try skills practice between meetings, and bring real-life situations into conversation without needing to leave daily routines.