(she/her)
Hi, I am Michelle and I have a few questions for you… Have you read all the self-help books? Been to webinars and seminars to try to find answers and peace? Have you tried the advice of family and friends, and nothing seems to work? You are not alone! I work with individuals who have been through trauma of all sorts, and who deal day in and day out with anxiety and depression, PTSD, and uncertainty. Do you feel like you do not fit in? Does life seem unbalanced or chaotic? Has an unexpected event toppled your world and now you are left holding the pieces? Let us partner together to begin to bring some calm and contentment back into life. Give yourself permission to begin or continue on your path to healing and wholeness. In my work with you, I will use an approach that works for you. I will look at you as a whole person. I am skilled at many different therapies with research-backed real-life results. I am proud of you for taking this step in your journey. It is not easy to reach out for help especially when doing so before has not gotten you the results you need. I believe in you. No matter what you are dealing with we can partner together and walk to the other side. Thank you for taking the time for you!
After our first session together, I will have an idea of what you are dealing with, your past experiences with the issue(s) you are facing, what things you have tried, and what the next step is on your journey to healing and wholeness. The beginning of the sessions will often be a time of reflection. These first few minutes are important and help guide the session. I will listen to your concerns. You will learn new skills to help with coping, calming, problem-solving, and other things that you can use immediately. Lastly, we will look at what our next step is. My goal is that you leave the session feeling better than you did coming into it. I hope that you feel encouraged, empowered, and have learned skills to help you heal, grow, and thrive.
I have over 20 years of experience working with children and teens. I have helped parents navigate through the adjustments of divorce, grief & loss, at-risk youth, adolescent issues, empty nest syndrome and beyond. I have extensive experience and training in the field of trauma, including dissociative identity disorder, severe anxiety/depression, and self-harming behaviors. I work with neuro-divergent individuals of all ages. There is no judgment or shame when you come into my office, be it virtually or in person. I am LGBTQ+ safe and accepting. I have helped people accept and live as their authentic selves. I have worked with many faiths and belief systems and have a strong faith base as well. I believe in hope. I believe in empowerment. I believe in you!
Trauma, PTSD, D.I.D., Anxiety, Depression, Parenting, Children, Teens, LGBTQ+
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
While I utilize a range of approaches, I believe that CBT sits at the core. What we believe/think does affect most of how we feel about ourselves and world around us. These beliefs and feelings often are the reasons for what we do (behaviors). I like that CBT also incorporates psychoeducation. I believe that the more information we have the better we understand ourselves and others; I am all about making informed decisions. However, when what we do does not line up with what we feel or think, then some exploration needs to happen. Once a client can pinpoint this, we can then work on solidifying healthy coping techniques and/or creating change in our unhealthy belief patterns of ourselves and others around us. I have used CBT as a backbone for everything from grief, trauma, depression/anxiety, marital issues, parenting, at-risk-youth, and in other areas. My clients have found success and healing by working with me utilizing CBT as the backbone of my treatment.
Narrative
Everyone has their own story on how they got to where they are today. Each story is woven with threads of grief, despair, successes, failures, happiness, frustration, and many others. Sometimes we feel like the hero and other times we feel more like the victim, but either way, we develop ideas and beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. I utilize narrative therapy as a way to help the client understand themselves and the "whys" of life, of which there are many. I invite clients to "write" new chapters and to look back at past chapters in a different and more compassionate way. Stories and parables have been used since time immemorial to pass down histories, moral lessons, to teach, and to understand ourselves. I believe in the power of the stories we create and the story that we were born into. I also believe that everyone has blank pages on which they can learn and choose to write their next chapter. My clients have found success in working with me using this framework. I tend to weave some sort of narrative therapy into all of my treatment modalities. I believe in making "space" for people decide how their story will end.