A way forward
Employee Spotlight | Cory Matters
Cory Matters wears a tie and suit jacket every day to work. It’s not a requirement, but it is a personal statement.
As a licensed behavioral health therapist at Open Door’s downtown Muncie location, Cory invites dozens of people into his office each week who are seeking help with life’s challenges. Cory’s clothing choices are meant to reflect how much he values and respects every client.
“This may not be the standard dress code for everyone. But for me, it is an important way to communicate my commitment to equitable high-quality care,” said Cory. “When someone meets with me, I want them to know that I believe they deserve the best care possible, regardless of background or income.”
Cory is a born-and-raised Muncie native. After double-majoring in philosophy and psychology, he continued at Ball State to earn his master’s degree in social work with a focus on clinical therapy and addictions. His counseling approach is to help people build the necessary skills to address the hard things in their lives – everything from family relationships to substance use disorder to social and economic inequality.
“I want my clients to experience a safe space to share the hurtful things that are holding them back. Some of the issues they face are results of broken systems outside of themselves. It can be easy to feel like there are no good choices available,” said Cory.
“I view the patient-provider relationship as an alliance, a partnership. My clients are the experts about themselves and their circumstances. And I want to help them see a way forward from wherever they are.”
Cory also prioritizes establishing an authentic and healthy relationship with each client. “Loneliness and isolation are at epidemic levels across the U.S. Research shows relationships are essential for health, healing, and growth,” he said. “I want my clients to experience what healthy connection feels and sounds like, so they are able to find and foster these relationships outside of therapy.” This includes learning skills in areas like mindfulness, tolerance, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal responsiveness, he shares.
Helping people who experience substance use disorder is a special passion for Cory. He strongly advocates for a “brain-first” perspective, treating the condition as a brain disease, like depression or other mental disorders.
“When we refer to it as ‘addiction,’ we tend to treat it as a moral decision,” said Cory. “Neurotransmitters such as dopamine are incredibly powerful and can easily hijack the brain’s healthy reward system. We often connect addiction to drugs and alcohol, but we also can get oversized dopamine hits from caffeine, sex, gambling, food, technology use, and co-dependency.
“By recognizing that any brain is susceptible, we take an important step in destigmatizing the condition and moving toward compassionate and effective health care.”
When Cory was considering where to practice, he was attracted to Open Door’s integration of behavioral health with other clinical departments. “I think it’s very beneficial for our patients that behavioral health therapists are able to work alongside nurse practitioners and physicians,” he said. “Open Door also offers support from community health workers, who help patients access essential resources like food assistance, housing support, and insurance coverage.”
Open Door’s mission of improving quality of life also strongly aligns with his own.
“I chose Open Door because the organization seeks to provide high quality care to everyone in the community, including our neighbors who are underserved and resource-challenged. I believe that we all have a responsibility to be kind to one another and invest in each other. Our community can truly move forward only when we have equitable opportunities for health, well-being, and quality of life.”