Matthew "Matt" Renken , LPC, LPCC

Matthew "Matt" Renken is a pragmatic, relational therapist who meets people where they are and offers steady support through life’s transitions. With 10 years of professional experience, he focuses on helping adults manage stress and anxiety, address addictions, build motivation and self-esteem, and recover from depression. He works collaboratively to tailor conversations and treatment plans to each person’s unique circumstances, emphasizing respect, sensitivity, and compassion in every interaction.

Matt blends a practical orientation with an emphasis on relationship, offering concrete skills and a warm therapeutic presence to help clients regain confidence, improve communication, and move toward healthier patterns. His practice also attends to issues such as forgiveness, self-love, social anxiety, and navigating major life changes. He balances encouragement with clear strategies so clients can make meaningful progress at a pace that fits their lives.

Matt holds the credentials LPC and LPCC, which stand for Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor - qualifications that reflect graduate-level training and state licensure to provide counseling. He also shares that his Christian faith is important to him, and he affirms each person’s own belief system rather than promoting his own. He aims to support courageous first steps toward a more fulfilling, resilient life.

Evidence-Based Techniques and Online Care with a Relational Focus

Matt uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that combine practical skills work with a relational, person-centered approach. One strand of his work focuses on skills-based coping strategies - teaching breathing, grounding, and behavioral tools that reduce everyday stress and anxiety and support recovery from addictive patterns. These techniques aim to give clients immediate, usable tools for managing symptoms and cravings.

Another emphasis is on relational, pragmatic counseling - a collaborative, goal-oriented approach that explores patterns in relationships, communication, and self-worth while building motivation and confidence. This portion of therapy supports clients dealing with self-esteem challenges, social anxiety, and difficult life transitions by identifying small, sustainable changes that add up over time.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is a shared process. Matt works with each person to determine which techniques best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds. Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging makes that collaboration flexible and accessible, allowing clients to connect with licensed professionals from home, during breaks, or while traveling and to choose the format that feels most comfortable for their life and schedule.