Focused Care
Explore our therapy options designed to foster emotional wellbeing and meaningful connections.
Individual Therapy
True wellness arises from finding balance across all areas of life—emotional, physical, social, and spiritual. Life’s challenges can sometimes disrupt this balance, leaving us feeling overwhelmed. Through counseling, we work together to restore that equilibrium, build essential skills, and guide you toward a healthier, more fulfilling place. With a strong foundation in biology, my approach is solution-focused, considering the natural patterns and responses that may hinder your well-being.
Often, unlocking growth and creating space for positive change requires addressing unresolved trauma or lingering aspects of our past. Together, we can navigate these areas, opening the door to healthier, more meaningful development.
Sex Therapy
Sex and intimacy are essential components of a thriving long-term romantic relationship. Yet, there are times when we may feel disconnected, or the pleasure, excitement, and desire we long for seem out of reach. Past traumas, betrayals, or other painful experiences can make this space especially sensitive and challenging to discuss. Whether dealing with physical concerns, anxiety, or the influence of cultural messages around sexuality, therapy offers a supportive and secure environment to navigate these challenges, access up-to-date information, and explore helpful resources.
Relationships
As human beings, we are inherently wired to need one another and navigate life together. Attachment is our main strategy to keep ourselves safe from the moment we are born. When the person we rely on most becomes unresponsive, it can leave us feeling disconnected and deeply upset. Many couples experience distress as they struggle to reconnect, often hindered by various challenges. One partner may express frustration while the other retreats, trying to avoid further conflict. Issues such as finances, family dynamics, parenting, intimacy, health, life transitions, or betrayal can create barriers to connection.
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) is a proven approach designed to foster healing at a fundamental level, establishing a safe space where trust and connection can flourish. As a Certified EFT Therapist, I help uncover the core emotions and needs beneath the surface, guiding you and your partner toward meaningful communication and collaboration. Together, we work to rebuild the bonds that allow you to move forward as a team.
Discover more about EFT:
PODCAST: What is EFT? – Thrive Therapy Episode 26
VIDEO: The Power of Bonding – A compelling demonstration of humanity’s innate need for connection by Sue Johnson and Ed Tronick.
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder deserves a new perspective—and perhaps even a new name. While having a brain that processes and experiences the world differently can present challenges, it’s important to recognize that with the right support, effective treatment, and personalized strategies, you can thrive. When life’s demands exceed your coping mechanisms, it can lead to anxiety, depression, strained relationships, and even susceptibility to addictive behaviors.
Therapy offers a space to understand your unique brain, explore the emotions contributing to your struggles, and develop practical tools for navigating life more effectively. By embracing your strengths and building self-awareness, you can unlock your potential and create a fulfilling, vibrant life. If an official diagnosis or medication is part of your journey, we can collaborate with your medical provider to ensure you have all the resources you need to succeed.
Women’s Issues
Hormones significantly influence our lives, shaping our experiences from adolescence through adulthood. As we navigate the transformative phases of pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause, these changes can have a profound impact on both our minds and bodies. Therapy offers a supportive environment to explore these transitions, providing valuable insights, practical strategies, and a safe space to discuss what you’re experiencing. It can also be an essential resource for addressing emotional and physical challenges related to intimacy, empowering you to move forward with confidence and clarity.
Additional areas:
Parenting
Nurture strong bonds of love and respect between siblings, maintain consistency in your approach, and support your children’s unique needs to help them thrive. Create a positive home environment that encourages their success, and work together as parents to ensure unity in discipline and family decision-making.
Third Culture Kids (TCKs)
Children who grow up in cultures different from their passport country during key developmental years often face challenges in navigating their identity and belonging across multiple cultures. (Michelle has experienced life in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.)
Workshops
Hold Me Tight
Michelle partners with other skilled clinicians to provide two-day workshops for couples based on the highly successful curriculum called “Hold Me Tight”. These workshops are an excellent supplement to couple therapy or for any relationship looking to grow in intimacy. We offer a safe environment for couples to begin to understand their protections that may get in the way of repairs or understanding. Sometimes it helps to see that we aren’t the only ones caught in a dance, other couples struggle too.
Women and Sex
The purpose of this class is to help women address the spots where they are in a negative pattern around sex. This can be holding them back from having the type of connected relationship they were meant to have. That physical connection with our partner is an “attachment need”. We as human beings are wired to need each other and we experience pain and hardship in life differently when we feel connected to that attachment person. Sex is the most vulnerable place for all of us. Too many of us struggle or avoid that place because of all the hurt. Here are a few statistics to consider: Over 80% of couples struggle with discrepancy, where one wants it more than the other. 20% of couples are considered ‘sexless’- they are not having sex. 15% of all sexual encounters end with one partner being dissatisfied or frustrated. Over HALF of couples are experiencing some sort of sexual difficulty. (Statistics shared by Dr. Laurie Watson, Sex Therapist) This class is a place for women to talk about sexual concerns in long-term relationships and start to see new ways to engage with their own needs and feelings.