Michelle Haynes
At times, life does not go as planned, and challenges can leave us feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or uncertain about what comes next. I believe therapy can provide a safe and supportive space to better understand yourself, make sense of life's experiences, and move toward meaningful growth and well-being. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas with over ten years of experience working in mental health settings and more than twenty years of experience in higher education. Throughout my career, I have worked as a mental health counselor, career counselor, and health educator. Together, my professional experience and graduate training allow me to bring a holistic perspective that recognizes the connection between emotional well-being, health, work, education, and life experiences. I work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, stress, emotional challenges, life transitions, trauma, career concerns, grief and loss, chronic illness, and periods of uncertainty or change. My approach is collaborative and emotion-focused, balancing reflection and insight with practical strategies that help strengthen coping skills and support growth and well-being.
First session
The first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and begin exploring what brings you to therapy. We may discuss current concerns, relevant life experiences, strengths, and what you hope to gain from counseling. We will also begin identifying goals for therapy and what support may be most helpful, recognizing that it is okay if you are not fully sure where to begin. I often encourage people to reflect on what feels most important to them while understanding that goals can become clearer over time. Together, we can identify meaningful goals and next steps that feel supportive and aligned with your needs.
Strengths
One of the strengths I bring into therapy is helping you feel at ease, understood, and supported. I strive to create a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where you can feel comfortable showing up authentically and exploring difficult thoughts, emotions, and experiences. I value creating space for reflection, emotional exploration, and greater self-understanding while helping people build on their strengths and develop coping skills and practical strategies for navigating life's challenges.
Ideal clients
I work with adults from a variety of backgrounds, life experiences, and stages of life. People seek therapy for many different reasons, including managing stress, navigating change, coping with emotional challenges, strengthening relationships, processing difficult experiences, or working toward personal and professional goals. I particularly enjoy supporting individuals who want to better understand themselves, improve emotional well-being, strengthen coping skills, and develop practical strategies for navigating life's challenges and transitions.
Treatment methods
Humanistic
I believe each person brings unique experiences, strengths, values, and goals to therapy. My approach is grounded in person-centered and humanistic principles that emphasize empathy, collaboration, self-understanding, and personal growth. I strive to create an environment where people feel respected, supported, and empowered as they work toward meaningful change.
Trauma-Informed Care
I recognize that difficult or overwhelming experiences can affect emotional well-being, relationships, coping, and daily functioning. My approach emphasizes safety, trust, choice, and collaboration while respecting each person's unique experiences and pace. My goal is to support healing and growth by helping people better understand their experiences, build on their strengths, and develop effective ways of responding to life's challenges.
Integrative
I take an integrative approach to therapy that recognizes each person's experiences, strengths, and goals are unique. Rather than relying on a single approach, I draw from a variety of evidence-based interventions and tailor treatment to meet each individual's needs. My goal is to provide support that is flexible, collaborative, and responsive to the concerns and goals that bring people to therapy.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I incorporate mindfulness and self-compassion practices to help people develop greater awareness of thoughts, emotions, and patterns while strengthening their ability to respond to challenges with greater understanding and compassion toward themselves. These approaches can support emotional well-being, stress management, self-awareness, and healthier ways of coping with difficult experiences.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I utilize DBT-informed interventions and practical coping strategies to help people improve emotional regulation skills, build distress tolerance, develop healthier coping patterns, strengthen communication and relationship skills, and respond more effectively to life's challenges.
Location
Virtual sessions