Michael Dautrich, LCSW

Michael Dautrich is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than three decades of experience in counseling. He helps people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, bipolar symptoms, ADHD, grief, and major life changes. He also assists with relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting strain, and challenges around chronic illness and caregiving.

He trained at Syracuse University and the State University of New York at Oswego, completing two master’s degrees in 1992. Much of his career was spent working within New York State mental health services, where he provided both individual and group therapy for many years.

In sessions he uses straightforward, practical approaches. Conversations focus on what is causing distress now, small changes people can try, and ways to manage daily tasks and emotions. He mixes client-centered listening with cognitive techniques and mindfulness practices to help people notice patterns and test new ways of coping.

Michael also draws on solution-focused and existential ideas when they fit a person’s goals. That can mean setting short-term, achievable steps or talking about values and what matters most. He aims to keep sessions grounded and relevant to everyday life.

People looking to address addiction, trauma, family strain, or long-term health-related challenges will find a clinician familiar with those topics. Michael practices in New York and works in English, and he accepts international clients through the service.

How his approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy starts with listening and understanding what matters to the person. Online sessions give space for straightforward conversation about goals, stresses, and priorities so the therapist can follow the client's lead. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors. In remote sessions that often means practicing specific skills, reviewing what worked since the last meeting, and setting small experiments for everyday life.

Finding the right approach is usually a shared process. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, preferences, and short-term goals. Together they decide whether to emphasize problem-solving steps, mindfulness exercises, or deeper conversations about meaning and values.

Confirm which session formats are offered before booking, since the profile does not list them. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into busy days, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. It also lets people try tools like guided breathing exercises or thought-record worksheets during a session, then use those tools between meetings to track progress.