Matthew Schilz, MSW, MPH, LCSW

You may be the person who shows up for everyone else, keeps things moving, and says the right things, yet when you're alone, a different voice takes over: “You should have handled that better. What’s wrong with you?” For many people, that inner critic has roots. Trauma, loss, difficult relationships, or experiences where you didn’t feel safe or supported can shape how you see yourself long after the original experience. Over time, that pain can show up as depression, anxiety, shame, grief, emotional disconnection, or the feeling that you have to hold everything together on your own. I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Maine, and I work with adults, including men, who are tired of carrying that weight. My work focuses on the intersection of trauma, depression, grief and loss, shame, and chronic self-criticism. Rather than treating each symptom in isolation, we can explore the experiences and protective patterns underneath them and develop a different relationship with yourself. My approach is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed, incorporating eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), parts work, mindfulness, and other evidence-based approaches based on your needs. You don’t have to keep fighting yourself to move forward.