Despite spending most of his life in the greater NYC and Boston areas, Matt Ross’ natural demeanor and style tends to lean more ‘laid back Southern Californian’ with an authentically nurturing, personable, and non-judgmental personality and foundation that facilitates a safe therapeutic environment and supportive alliance. Matt is also in recovery himself, and his own journey with substance use and mental health challenges has gifted him the kind of inherent understanding and connection with his clients that only lived experience can truly cultivate.

Matt holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of New England and is licensed by the North Carolina Board of Social Work as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Associate and has been working in the behavioral health field ever since completing his education. Matt specializes in Crisis Prevention Intervention, Solution-Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), psychoeducation, and traditional talk therapy.

Matt began his clinical experience in inpatient psychiatric settings where he spent over two years working directly with clients diagnosed with severe psychiatric illnesses and other conditions requiring institutionalization. He is particularly interested in and passionate about continuing to work with highly complex psychiatric cases as they are often underserved, misunderstood, and left without support due to the lack of resources, accessibility, and/or trained clinician’s willing to take on cases with such high acuity.

Matt’s niche demographic is young adults (ages 18 to 30) of all genders and identities, including all members of the LGBTQIA2+ community, who are struggling with substance use disorders (SUD) and/or co-occurring mental and psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder. Matt is both personally and professionally most passionate about working with individuals within the LGBTQIA2+ community as it’s especially important that we start prioritizing communities who’ve historically been at a higher risk— not only due to factors such as suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, self-harm, targeted violence, substance abuse, and thus, developing mental health issues, such as trauma and PTSD, but because our industry largely misunderstands, mistreats, and misguides communities they aren’t trained or even willing to work with. Matt is humbly equipped with the skills, experience, efficacy and determinate curiosity this underrepresented demographic deserves. His goal is to do more than just foster allyship; he wants to do whatever he can to make a true, positive, and significant difference for them within the industry and on their lives.

Matt possesses the innate skills that make for an effective therapist, such as active listening, reflection, paraphrasing, providing a judgment-free zone, and conveying empathy. He is currently in the process of expanding and enhancing his mindfulness practice and self-awareness methodologies to improve clinical outcomes for his clients. His therapeutic approach is relational and empowering. At Abhaya, He guides his clients through the exploration of their thoughts, feelings, physiological experience, and their psychological makeup, no matter how uncomfortable or unpleasant it may be. His overall goal is to create a space where his clients can feel heard and valued; a space where he can support his clients through a deeper understanding of themselves, their challenges, how these elements interconnect, and ultimately impact one another.

Matt understands what it feels like to be uncomfortable, uneasy, and isolated when it comes to mental health and sobriety. Having received significant support on his journey, he is passionately dedicated to sharing the gift of recovery to those still struggling to find the light. Matt wants those struggling to know that they don’t have to do it alone, and when they are ready to find their light, he is here to walk with them toward it.