My name is Michelline (she/her) and I am a marriage and family therapist, who is licensed in Florida, with 17 years' experience in the mental health field. I have worked with clients with a wide array of concerns such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, stress management, anxiety, domestic violence, female empowerment, communication, parenting issues, relationship issues, ADHD, LGBTQIA+ concerns, and mood management. I have also worked with clients on anger management issues.
In our first session together, we'll start with brief introductions, then dive into the specific challenges you're facing. I will answer any questions you may have about myself or treatment (especially if you are new to therapy). I will also complete some documentation so that I can begin getting to know you. My goal in the first session is for us to get to know each other and for you to get an idea about who I am and my style before making a commitment to work with me.
I believe that we all want to be the best version of ourselves and my goal is to support you in getting there. If you are ready to make those changes, I will be there working with you to accomplish them. My therapeutic style is rooted in humor, is strength based, and is focused on the client and their needs, using a non-judgmental approach that is inclusive. I also use personal stories, when applicable, to provide examples of scenarios or issues that individuals may face. I focus on treating all clients with dignity and respect with a great deal of open communication. My view on your treatment plan and goal development is that it comes from you. I am not here to tell you what to work on, I am here to provide a listening ear with suggestions and homework assignments to challenge you to accomplish your goals. I believe all of those items are my greatest strengths.
My clinical training is in Marriage and Family Therapy. I have practiced in families home and supported a variety of families through a full range of issues/concerns for over 15 years. I feel a systemic approach to therapy can support us in understanding where one another is coming from or how to understand where some generational concerns occur.
I use the approach of mindfulness along with other methods to bring another level of understanding to the issue/concern, how to understand, and how to navigate it.
I value educating clients on the topics/concerns that they are bringing into sessions. I believe it is important to have information versus just being told what someone should do- knowing why has a lot of value for their life.
I utilized a variety of methods and approaches from the following treatment models: Solution focused, Mindfulness, Internal Family Systems, Narrative, and Structural. I have received training in each of these modalities and use them to fit the client.
As a person of color, from an immigrant family, being curious about an individual or family's cultural background and how it influences them is an important part of treatment. An individual's culture can play a huge part on the strategies and how they utilize them. Also, I view multicultural as a broad umbrella that is not just limited to race and ethnicity.