About Your Guide
Dr. Matthew Horner, PsyD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Before I share anything about my professional experiences, I want you to know, I’ve lived a whole lot of life.
So, (as an experienced human being, with specific education to boot), I have the ability to really understand many of the things you may be going through.
I know what it’s like to leave a community, to feel lonely in making decisions, and to build yourself up from scratch.
I know what it’s like to feel pressure, struggle to the core, and to burn out…
To feel sick with anxiety, to lose nights of sleep before a big event, and to know my abilities were yet to be realized.
In fact, I’ve lived all this stuff, healed through this stuff, and professionally supported others’ growth through this process. I’ve even formally researched and analyzed it to better understand how people (just like you) can grow through their challenges.
So in other words, in addition to what I offer as a result of my education and experience, you’ll have my empathy, my humanness, and my understanding, right here alongside with you.
So how did a landscaper from North Carolina, come to be a psychologist?
I grew up with a strong independent and entrepreneurial side, and in my early years, built a successful service company in North Carolina.
Even though the company was doing great, what I really loved was connecting with the people I hired. Hearing about their relationships, listening to their struggles, understanding their history, and their difficult positions in life. I found myself happily spending time and energy assisting them in their own growth process.
While running the company was my bread and butter, my passions grew more and more into helping people meet their independent goals and thrive.
So, in 2008, wanting a new challenge and adventure, I sold the business, and followed my instincts to Alaska.
Of course, I got a cabin, explored Alaska’s wild offerings, and eventually started working at a youth shelter. Little did I know, I was on my way to finding my passion—connecting with people in a meaningful way, to support their healing towards a prosperous life.
To say the least, these kids had rough, rough lives, and I took my work with them seriously. I started consuming everything I could get my hands on, to learn about life philosophy, motivation, mental growth, etc.
The whole experience completely lit me up.
I started my masters program in Professional Counseling in 2009…
My first job in the helping professions was as a services coordinator, where I helped elderly and disabled folks receive care in their home so that they could stay in their community and out of a facility.
During this time, I was also providing counseling services at an agency to earn my license.
One thing led to another, and I was asked to direct the development of a community mental health agency. Together with a hand-picked team, we grew the agency into a fully staffed and operational clinic, which served adolescents, adults, and families, while employing multiple providers and support staff. We served individuals on an outpatient basis and also (uniquely) in their educational settings.
Starting and growing this agency was an absolute joy and the perfect challenge for me at the time. Through this experience, I was able to hone my skills, develop my techniques, and roll my master’s degree into a Doctorate of Psychology (with a focus on post-traumatic growth and complex interpersonal communications).
Eventually, I decided to begin my private practice (Contrasting Qualities, LLC). In doing so, I partnered with a local funder. That arrangement allowed me to continue much of the work needed in our community, specifically supporting other agencies as they developed their structure in order to meet the area’s growing needs.
It’s such an honor to continue staying connected to my community and to provide specialized services that make a difference there. Currently, the influence of my private practice reaches throughout Alaska and beyond.
Professionally speaking, I’m a lifer.
I'm dedicated to my profession, my clients, and to making your efforts count so they lead to real and lasting changes.
I work diligently to get you results as quickly as possible, which will last your entire life.
In my therapy practice, I specialize in trauma treatment, as well as coping skills, anxiety, depression, communication, relationships, and more.
And in the coaching space, I propel people to the next levels of their journey. And firmly support them in the process.
To explore working together (especially in the latter capacity),
Dr. Horner makes me feel heard, and understood in such a natural way.
I can feel Dr. Horner’s commitment to truly understanding me and my situation when I consult with him. He makes me feel important, heard, and understood in such a natural way. It doesn’t just feel like he’s practicing a skill, but it feels like an extension of his personality.
And he always has these little extras to share! He always shares one more piece of energy or one more place to look or one more idea that lets you take your reason for talking with him even further, if you want to.
I also appreciate his quick wit, intelligence, and sense of humor. He has such a great way of graciously bringing much-needed levity when it’s not a super-happy subject. Dr. Horner also has this uncanny ability to think creatively and approach a topic in a novel way.
— Anonymous for client confidentiality (shared with permission)