Chris Sanderson LMSW

I discovered my passion for the helping professions while studying Philosophy at Pepperdine University. After graduation, I spent five years working and volunteering across education, regenerative agriculture, and nonprofit organizations before pursuing a Master of Social Work at the University of Michigan in 2019. I developed my clinical foundation through a 1.5 year internship and two-year fellowship at the University of Michigan's Ambulatory Psychiatry Clinic. There, I worked extensively with individuals, couples, parents, and young children across several specialty teams, including Perinatal Psychiatry, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and the Infant and Early Childhood Clinic. These experiences deepened my understanding of trauma, attachment, emotional regulation, and the ways relationships shape our well-being throughout life. In my work with individuals, I integrate evidence-based approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with somatic and emotion-focused therapies to help clients develop greater psychological flexibility. Together, we work toward creating a future that is not dictated by the past—a life with more freedom, resilience, authenticity, connection, and meaning. In my work with couples and families—including partners, siblings, parents, and adult children—I often return to Esther Perel's question: "What are we fighting for?" rather than "What are we fighting about?" By shifting attention away from the surface content of conflict and toward the underlying emotional process, I help clients identify the cycles that keep them stuck and build new ways of understanding and responding to one another. The goal is not simply to resolve disagreements, but to strengthen the relationship itself. Clients often tell me they appreciate the spirit of curiosity, compassion, and nonjudgment that shapes our work together. I believe lasting change happens when people feel deeply understood while also being gently challenged to grow. Whether you're navigating anxiety, trauma, relationship conflict, a major life transition, or simply feeling stuck, I would be honored to walk alongside you as both a guide and a witness to your healing.