About Michael
Dr. Michael Altekruse is a Wisconsin psychologist with 25 years of clinical experience. He focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, parenting concerns, relationship struggles, and ADHD.
He aims for clear, respectful conversations and a calm approach in sessions. Dr. Altekruse draws on straightforward methods to learn what brought someone to therapy.
He begins by asking about goals and the obstacles that get in the way. Sessions focus on practical steps clients can try between meetings as well as talking through painful history or current problems.
Background and approach
Having worked in college counseling centers and a school district, he has experience with a broad range of life stages and situations. That background shapes a flexible style that adapts to what each person needs right now. He listens for patterns from family of origin, caregiver stress, and communication problems.
His work often addresses impulsivity, guilt and shame, isolation, and midlife concerns. He also supports people dealing with attachment wounds, forgiveness work, and questions about life purpose. The therapist pays attention to fatherhood issues and the stresses tied to caregiving when those come up.
Dr. Altekruse describes himself as respectful, sensitive, and calm with a sense of humor. He does not present himself as having all the answers; instead he helps people decide what actions they are willing to take.
That collaborative tone frames goal-setting and follow-through in his practice.
Therapeutic approaches suited to online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following the client's lead to understand goals and barriers. It helps when someone wants a respectful, exploratory space to talk through relationship concerns, parenting stress, or life changes.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, identifies unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and tests small experiments to change them. This approach is useful for anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and ADHD-related challenges where practical strategies and skill building are helpful.
Finding the right approach is treated as a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss options and try methods that match the client's goals and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress and challenges become clearer.
Online formats offer flexibility to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low, and live chat or text-based messaging can work for brief check-ins or when a written exchange feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to keep regular contact and to practice skills between sessions.
Questions people ask
What concerns does he commonly help with?
What is his general therapeutic style?
How much clinical experience does he have?
What are his credentials and where is he located?
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Can people outside the United States work with him?
What session formats are available online?
How are costs and starting handled?
What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Parenting issues
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Attachment issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Depression
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Self-love
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 25 years
- Licensed
- Wisconsin
- Languages
- English
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