- Emotionally-Focused Therapy
- DBT informed skills
- Motivational interviewing
About Matthew
Matthew Schmeckpeper is an Iowa-licensed mental health counselor with ten years of clinical experience. He works with people facing addiction, trauma and abuse, anger, stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, relationship strain, parenting pressures, and life changes. He also focuses on related issues such as codependency, impulsivity, dissociation, and fatherhood challenges.
Matthew draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside client-centered and mindfulness approaches. In sessions he pays attention to feelings that are hard to name and to patterns that keep repeating. Conversations are practical and direct, aimed at making small changes that add up.
He has worked across community mental health, early development and mental health programs, school-based behavioral health, residential substance use treatment, correctional treatment, intensive outpatient services, and outpatient care. That background informs how he connects everyday problems to past experiences and current routines.
Sessions often include skill practice such as emotional regulation and DBT-informed techniques. Motivational interviewing ideas are used when people are ready to change addictive patterns or substance use. Matthew also brings existential questions into conversations about meaning, purpose, and life direction.
People who come to him for help usually want straightforward conversation and hands-on tools. He asks about what has worked before and what a person wants to be different now. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How his approaches translate to online work
Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on recognizing and naming strong emotions and on the interaction patterns that keep people stuck. It can help when relationship dynamics or recurring emotional reactions are central to the problem. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on the person's experience and perspective, offering reflective listening and support while people decide their own next steps. Dialectical Behavior Therapy provides concrete skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and managing impulsive behavior; it is often used when emotional reactivity or self-destructive patterns are present.Finding the right mix of methods is part of the work. Matthew treats the choice of approach as collaborative. He will discuss goals, try approaches that fit those goals, and adjust plans based on what the client finds most useful.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current online options before booking. Online work can make regular sessions easier to fit into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It also lets people practice skills between meetings and bring immediate, real-life examples into conversation to try new ways of responding.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
Iowa, Nebraska
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does he address?
He works with addiction, trauma and abuse, anger, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, relationship and parenting concerns, and coping with life changes.
What therapeutic style does he use?
He uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside client-centered methods and mindfulness. He also integrates DBT-informed emotional regulation and motivational interviewing techniques.
How long has he been practicing?
Matthew has ten years of clinical experience in a range of settings including community mental health and residential substance use treatment.
What are his credentials and location?
He holds LMHC and LMHP credentials and practices in Iowa.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with him?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How does billing and cost work?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin?
Click the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.