Mat Klemp, LMSW, is the primary therapist for the Domestic Relationships Program at the Men’s Resource Center of West Michigan. He brings more than 20 years of experience working with men and families impacted by domestic and sexual violence, with a particular focus on accountability, healing, healthier relationships, and personal growth.
Since 2002, Mat has worked as a licensed therapist at the YWCA of West Michigan, where much of his clinical work has involved providing individual and group counseling through the Men Choosing Alternatives to Violence Program. During his tenure at the YWCA, Mat has also served in leadership roles as a clinical supervisor and Senior Director of Non-Residential Services. He is a longtime member of the Batterer Intervention Services Coalition of Michigan (BISCMI).
Mat knows men come to counseling for many different reasons. Some arrive voluntarily because they recognize that something in their lives or relationships needs to change. Others may initially come because of concerns raised by a partner, family member, employer, or the legal system. Wherever a man begins, Mat works to create a respectful, direct, and supportive environment—one where honest self-examination is balanced with both accountability and self-compassion.
His approach encourages men to look beyond simply controlling problematic behaviors and toward a better understanding of what drives them. This can include learning to recognize controlling tactics, manage anger more effectively, increase emotional awareness and intelligence, communicate more respectfully, and navigate conflict without intimidation or aggression. He also encourages men to develop greater empathy and take responsibility for the impact their choices and behaviors have on partners, children, and others.
Consistent with the philosophy of the Men’s Resource Center, Mat appreciates the powerful ways boys and men are shaped by cultural expectations about masculinity. Men may learn early to value strength, independence, achievement, and self-reliance while receiving less encouragement to develop emotional awareness, vulnerability, intimacy, and relational skills. Mat helps men examine how these societal and cultural messages have shaped them—not as an excuse for harmful behavior, but as an opportunity to expand their capacities.
Men can build upon strengths such as courage, perseverance, responsibility, and self-reliance while also developing greater emotional intelligence, empathy, intimacy, and the capacity to ask for and receive support.
Developing this broader range of skills can help men move more effectively among the many roles they are called upon to fulfill—as partners, fathers, friends, professionals, and members of their communities. Mat believes meaningful change occurs when men can be challenged while also being treated with dignity and given opportunities to develop capacities they may not previously have been encouraged to cultivate.
Mat works with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and walks of life and respects the individuality and life experience each person brings into the room. His goal is to provide a place where men can talk honestly, confront difficult issues, learn from one another, and find support as we all work toward becoming better versions of ourselves.
Outside of his professional life, Mat values spending as much time as possible with his family and being outdoors.