I'm a LCSW with over 20 plus years experience in the mental health field. I've worked in a variety of settings throughout the years, from schools, hospitals to outpatient mental health to name a few. I graduated with a B.S. in Rehabilitation Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received my Masters in Social work at Columbia University, NY. I'm currently licensed in California. I see adult individuals only for therapy (not accepting couples, minors, or family therapy sessions). I'm here to provide a confidential and non-judgmental safe space, to help you with problems you don't feel comfortable sharing with family/friends. I work with clients to identify goals for therapy and to help clients develop and implement coping skills to manage life's challenges. I love what I do and genuinely look forward to working with you.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
The first session is focused on collecting some background information so that I may start to get to know you, and what brought you to therapy. We discuss what you'd like to work on in therapy. This is the intake, not a session. This is not a deep dive but rather some information about you, in particular, the length of time you've been struggling with distressing symptoms. From there we'd work on a plan of care on how to meet your goal(s).
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Most individuals have provided me with the feedback that they felt engaged, not judged, listened to and that they learned skills to make meaningful changes.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve are those individuals who are struggling with mild to moderate anxiety or depression. As well as those needing help during life transitions and adjustments.
About Michelle Pentell
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is a goal-oriented and collaborative approach that focuses on the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and that it also offers tools to manage thoughts and emotions effectively. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is a well-researched and evidence-based approach to dealing with various psychological issues such as anxiety and depression.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy. It was specifically designed to help people manage intense emotional swings, reduce self-destructive behaviors and improve relationships. DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness practices. It emphasizes the balance between acceptance and change, helping people to accept their experiences while working towards positive behavioral changes. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are both evidence-based psychotherapies. They share a common goal of helping people understand and change patterns of behavior that are harmful or ineffective. DBT is unique in its emphasis on the concept of dialectics, the process of finding balance between opposing forces. This is reflected in the therapy’s core principles of acceptance and change. DBT also places a strong emphasis on the therapeutic relationship, with therapists acting as allies and validating the client’s experiences.