About Michael
Michael Gardner is a licensed clinical social worker in Tennessee with 22 years of practice. He focuses on stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. He aims to make first steps less overwhelming and meet people where they are.
He draws on mindfulness to help people notice their thoughts and calm bodily tension. That often leads to lower stress and fewer moments of intense worry. Michael also uses supportive psychotherapy to listen, reflect, and help people build practical coping skills.
Background and approach
Sessions are aimed at increasing motivation and confidence. He works with each person to set simple goals and practice skills between visits. Progress is measured in small changes that feel useful in daily life.
His approach is direct and caring. He offers a nonjudgmental space to talk through what matters most and to try strategies that fit an individual's routine. Over time clients often report clearer thinking and better ways to handle pressure.
Michael encourages people to take the first step when they feel ready. He helps design an individualized plan and discusses options that may help move things forward.
Evidence-based approaches and flexible online care
Michael uses mindfulness practice to help people notice stress reactions and reduce anxious arousal through simple attention and breathing exercises. This approach can be useful for managing daily worry and calming physical symptoms of anxiety.He also uses supportive psychotherapy, which focuses on listening, offering feedback, and strengthening coping skills. That method helps people build confidence, set small goals, and try practical strategies between sessions.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss needs, preferences, and goals to choose or combine techniques that fit each person's situation. Decisions about methods are collaborative and can shift as progress is made.
Online therapy formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can work when video bandwidth is limited, live chat suits shorter check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between meetings. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule and to keep continuity when in-person visits are not possible.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
- Experience
- 22 years
- Licensed
- Tennessee
- Languages
- English
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