Michelle Hebert
Welcome! My name is Michelle Hebert. I am licensed in NH as a MLADC and LCMHC. I am glad you have decided to explore therapy. Sometimes our life experiences can feel like a rock hitting the water’s surface, creating ripples that can impact every area of your life.
Honor your past- rebuild your strength
Resilience is the dynamic capacity to navigate and bounce back from life's inevitable hardships. Rather than erasing emotional pain, resilience acts as a protective buffer that equips us to process pain without becoming overwhelmed. While therapy can be challenging, I am here to support and encourage you as you find fulfillment and empowerment.
First session
Taking the first step into therapy is incredibly brave, especially when you are carrying the weight of trauma or navigating a complex relationship with substances. I know that entering a new therapeutic space can feel intimidating, which is why your comfort, safety, and control are my absolute highest priorities from the moment we connect. Here is exactly how I make your first session a soft place to land: • You Set the Pace: We will never jump straight into the hardest parts of your story. In our first few sessions, our only goal is to build trust and establish safety. You share only what you feel ready to share, and you always have the right to pass on a question. • A Judgment-Free Zone: If you are actively using substances, struggling to cut back, or feeling conflicted about change, you will find no shame or lectures here. I view substance use through a trauma-informed lens—as a survival tool your brain adapted to cope with pain, not a moral failure. • Collaborative Control: You are the expert on your life. We will work together as a team to decide what goals matter to you. You are in the driver's seat; I am here to provide the map, tools, and unwavering support. • Grounded, Real Human Connection: I show up to our sessions as a real person, not a rigid, blank-slate authority figure. We will laugh, we might cry, and we will move forward at a speed that honors your nervous system. You don't have to have your life completely figured out to start. Come exactly as you are—whether you are anxious, exhausted, skeptical, or overwhelmed. We will figure it out together.
Strengths
Taking the first step toward support can feel paralyzing. If you are facing a difficult time or simply need a safe, grounded space to figure out your next steps, I am here to help. I invite you to schedule a free confidential introductory call with me.
Ideal clients
On the outside, you look like you have it all together. You show up for your job, your friends, and your family. But when the day ends and the noise dies down, the internal volume gets too loud. You might find yourself reaching for a drink, a substance, or a distraction just to turn off the constant anxiety, hypervigilance, or heavy memories that sit in your chest. Maybe you’ve tried to cut back or quit before, only to find that without that coping mechanism, you feel completely raw and unsafe. You’re not looking for a rigid checklist of rules or a therapist who just tells you to 'stop.' You are ready to get to the root of the pain. My ideal clients are resilient individuals who are ready to explore the connection between their past survival strategies—like substance use—and the unhealed trauma driving them. Together, we won't just treat the symptoms; we will help your body and mind finally feel like a safe place to live."
Treatment methods
Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed therapy in my practice means shifting the core question from "What is wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" This approach recognizes that your current struggles—including a complicated relationship with substances—are not moral failures or personal defects, but rather logical, deeply ingrained adaptations designed to help you survive overwhelming pain. In our sessions, this translates into an environment completely centered on your physical and emotional safety, predictable transparency, and collaborative pacing. I view us as a team, meaning you retain complete autonomy and are never forced to discuss painful memories before your nervous system is ready. Instead of just analyzing your thoughts, we will gently track your body’s physical responses to stress, replacing shame and judgment with a deep, compassionate curiosity. Together, we will honor the resilience that got you here while safely building the new internal tools you need to finally feel at home in your own body.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Serves
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- New HampshireLicense 5785