Michelle Charness-Adams
Michelle Charness-Adams
(she/her)
Dr. Charness is a former assistant district attorney specializing in prosecuting domestic violence and sexual assault, and rape cases. Additionally, she has her PsyD in clinical psychology specializing in trauma, attachment theory, and affect regulation. She has worked extensively with patients suffering from physical, sexual, and emotional abuse trauma. Further, Dr. Charness has a wealth of experience with PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidality, and self-harm. She incorporates many modalities in her sessions, including psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and somatic work. She effectively supports clients working through past trauma and finding resolve and peace within themselves, which is crucial to individual mental health and functionality. Inclusivity and remaining culturally sensitive to patients are of utmost importance to her. Dr. Charness has also contributed to several books, including Voices of Pain, Voices of Hope, Students Speak About Racism, and Learning Through Discussion. Her most recent passion is her blog on Psychology Today (under law and crime) regarding the intersection of law and mental health. She focuses primarily on how legal rulings can impact our mental health, motive, trauma-informed interrogation, and investigation, particularly in domestic violence and sexual assault cases, and the failings of both the legal and mental health systems. Teaching about the realities of what life looks like inside the courtroom for a victim of domestic violence or rape, whether it be to a classroom of students or an audience of readers, is incredibly important to her.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The therapeutic alliance between client and therapist is crucial for growth, validation, and healing. Every session has to be the client's agenda and what they are seeking to gain from therapy and this begins with session 1 with me. I want the patient to feel comfortable, heard and seen so that they can begin the journey of healing and living a life that feels authentic, truthful and full of hope,
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strength as a provider is my ability to bond with clients and enable them to feel heard, seen, and validated. I aim to support clients in feeling relief from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and grief and my empathic nature coupled with my training and experience has produced a high success rate of clients feeling healed and hopeful about their future.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
Specialties: All ages Trauma Focused Psychodynamic Therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Family Therapy PTSD Depression Anxiety Affect Regulation and Attachment Relations Domestic Violence Rape and Sexual Trauma Legal System Stress Mindfulness Loss, Grief, and Bereavement
About Michelle Charness-Adams
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Fully bookedMy treatment methods
Trauma Informed Care
I began my career as a rape and domestic violence prosecutor and then received my PsyD in trauma and attachment theory. I support clients in processing their trauma so that they can re-train the neurons in their brain to move beyond it and begin to heal from the flight, fight or freeze mode.
Psychodynamic
I am trained in psychodynamic theory which is fundamental to healing. We all need to understand why we behave the way we do and our patterns which begin with our primary caregivers and our attachment to them. If we do not look at why we are who we are then all other modalities are just bandaids that never really enable us to truly heal and live the lives we desire.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral therapy is very useful in conjunction with other modalities to provide clients with skills to begin to change behaviors and turn negative thoughts into positive alternatives.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness is crucial in allowing us to re-center and reduce anxiety, anger, sadness, and affect dysregulation. Once we are regulated we can think clearly and be in present in our lives.
Grief Therapy
Grief has many stages that we navigate and is part of our lives. Processing one's grief in therapy can help us heal faster and more completely.