Matthew Hughes, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Utah with five years of experience, Matthew Hughes focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem, and depression. He works with adults who are coping with difficult life events and intense emotions. Sessions aim to help individuals reduce distress and make practical changes aligned with their goals.

Matthew uses a mix of approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), client-centered methods, mindfulness work, and psychodynamic ideas. He combines problem-focused techniques with conversations about patterns that keep problems going. That can mean learning new skills, practicing different ways to think about hard situations, and noticing unhelpful habits.

In sessions he asks straightforward questions and offers exercises you can try between meetings. Therapy often includes short behavioral experiments, values clarification, and attention training to handle anxiety or panic. For trauma-related symptoms he uses structured cognitive work alongside these approaches.

He describes therapy as a cooperative process where the clinician and client decide what to try next. Progress is measured in concrete changes such as fewer panic episodes, calmer responses to anger, or clearer day-to-day routines. Matthew encourages tracking small steps as well as talking through difficult memories when it helps.

Practical matters like scheduling, session rhythm, and the use of homework are discussed up front. People who choose to work with him are asked to identify what they want to change and to try tasks between sessions so therapy can produce noticeable differences over time.

How his approaches work for online sessions