SOL Mental Health

Hello! My name is Mat Elder, and I’m a therapist whose driving therapeutic principle is holistic care. The parts of your wellbeing— emotional, mental, spiritual, physical, social, etc— that give you meaning and define who you are is at the core of my practice. To find contentment, that goal we are all seeking, it is essential to consider each part of your being. Much of the time in the profession has been dedicated to the treatment of specialty populations, including LGBQ and TGNB folks of all ages, those suffering from drug and behavioral addictions of all levels of severity, and those exploring their identity and sexuality, including kink, chemsex, increasing intimacy, sex work, and more. I've worked with those suffering from trauma, depression, anxiety, bipolar, personality disorders, and more. I’ve worked in criminal justice spaces including family court, intensive-care practices, and addiction and harm reduction services. The heart of my practice is people, so I have a special interest in discovering collaboratively what healing means to you, including symptom reduction, decreasing maladaptive behaviors, and supporting you in achieving your goals. I am certified in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), which assists your nervous system in reacting more calmly to distressing memories. I also pull from cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapies (CBT/DBT), which influence our consideration of thought patterns, emotional experience, social interactions, and much more.

I believe change begins at the threshold of discomfort, and that is where much of our work will be. With compassion and respect, I encourage my clients to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and embrace new coping skills and thought patterns during treatment that support their version of actualization. This is what I call supportive confrontation, which involves giving value to your personal stories while pushing you to challenge yourself and worldview to enact meaningful, long-term change. The work can be challenging, yet we are in it together. I’m excited for the opportunity to be on this journey with you.