LMFT, 16 years of experience
New to Grow
Hello. My name is Michelle Barker, and I am licensed marriage and family therapist in 5 different states and an international certified addiction counselor. I started my career 16 years ago working with clients battling addiction but have spent the last 8 years of experience providing Marriage and Family Therapy. In my practice I use a large variety of therapeutic approaches to assist clients meet their goal but primarily I use CBT and SFT to identify issues and resolve, allowing my clients to move on from experiences that have plagued them for years. My preferred approach has allowed me to assist clients who suffer from addiction, relationship issues, communication challenges, abuse (emotional, psychological, physical, and sexual), trauma, depression, anxiety, and grief.
During the first session with me will spend some time getting acquainted with each other and I will ask about what brings you to therapy, what you are looking for in a therapist, and what you are hoping to gain from coming to therapy.
The unique thing about me as a therapist is that my thinking is outside of the box. I spend every session getting to know who my client is and how they do they things they do, so that I can help my client understand themselves and the world around them better. My superpower is listening for trends in my client's behavior (both positive and negative) that correlate to situations they are facing to help them determine the next appropriate steps for them.
My ideal client is one who is ready to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and behaviors that have caused them to be unhappy or feel stagnant in their lives, so they can get to whatever their goal or next level is.
Solution focused therapy is used in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy by helping the client gain understanding of their experiences and how they impact behavior, which will aid us in resolving long standing emotional concerns. I have used this method for over 16 years assisting clients with addressing a wide variety of concerns.
I use CBT to assist my clients identify thoughts and feelings associated with their behaviors that cause conflict in their lives and assist them creative ways to make positive modifications.