Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) Therapists in Maplewood, MO

In hard times, important transformations are possible, but we can get lost and stuck. It’s painful when our usual approaches don’t work. It’s difficult to see outside our ways of operating in constant stress, intergenerational reactivity, or shoulds that misshape us. I help people see and get more free. I help you connect with your core knowing so you can more wisely revise your life. You may be grieving (death, divorce, lost years, etc). You may be facing changes (career decisions/shifts, peri-/menopause, illness, burnout, etc). Change can also be tough on relationships, and my holistic approach can help you refresh connection.

I once had a counselor say to me ‘you don’t get into this profession unless you’ve been through hard times,’ and in a moment when I felt isolated and alone, those words were incredibly meaningful and ultimately life-changing for me. I’m here because I have had hard moments in my life (like all humans!) and I want to use what I’ve learned through those experiences and how I’ve grown, to help others find their way through the dark experiences of life. You’re not alone, I will help you! My overarching goal as a therapist is to help each client find peace, acceptance, and contentment within themselves, their body and their life.

Do you find it challenging to make time for yourself? Do you feel like you need a break from juggling the demands of daily life, even just for a moment? These breaks are essential in caring for your heart and mind. I specialize in providing supportive, mindful therapy as a piece of the greater picture of self care.

Michelle enjoys working with Couples in distress, Individuals who are wanting to resolve problems expressing as depression, anxiety or problematic behaviors and Parent Guidance for children's problems within Family therapy. With past experience in Nursing and an undergraduate degree in Theology; Michelle approaches counseling with a broad understanding of what in a person's life and relationships might need a new kind of balance or understanding so that emotions can be healed, behaviors changed and relationships renewed. Michelle strives to combine a tender supportiveness with confident guidance to help people move actively towards their goals.

Life can be beautiful, but let’s be honest, it can also be stressful! From our very first session, you can expect to feel safe, validated, and at ease. I use humor and a strengths-based approach to create a space where we can be our authentic selves. My style is integrative, trauma-informed, and I tailor our work to meet your individual needs, goals, and interest. I incorporate art, play, reading, mindfulness, inner child, and parts work into our sessions. I can also communicate and collaborate with you or your child’s other providers (school counselors, teachers, physicians, etc.) to ensure a holistic and coordinated approach.

Hi there, I am here to help you. I work with individuals, couples, and families with struggles ranging from current life issues, relationship struggles, and issues that have been a lifelong battle. Clients often come to me because they have hit the lowest point and have never felt more alone, even after trying therapy countless times before. Many clients have left counseling finding resolution and a drive to live their life to the fullest. My clients have expressed finding healing, feeling equipped to manage life, and having healthier relationships and connections with others that they previously thought weren't possible.

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with the state of Missouri. I received a Masters in Counseling Psychology as well as a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in 2017. During my studies, I was a staff counselor at Bastyr University. In addition, I offered low cost therapy to the community at a year long internship at Seattle Therapy Alliance. I spent 4 years as a clinical fellow at Roots Renewal Counseling in St. Louis, MO. I enjoy working with adults experiencing issues related to anxiety, depression, OCD, grief/loss, chronic illness, identity development, career, body image and self confidence.

If you've found yourself here, then I imagine you are looking for support to make a change in your life. It can be so challenging when you are shifting through all of these profiles to understand who can help you and how. It is true, there is not one counselor that is a great fit for each person. However, with over 14 years of therapist experience, I have seen that therapy REALLY works! I have also noticed that underneath a lot of anxiety, depression, eating disorders and relationship concerns is trauma. I specialize in working with trauma using EMDR. I help people move from a life of pain to one where they experience thriving.

Being human is difficult! Committing to counseling provides viable options to the struggles you face. As you grow in your understanding of yourself and your world, you will begin to find that you have more choices than you thought possible — real alternatives to being defeated, becoming numb, or simply being trapped in knee-jerk patterns and reactions. Growth in this way does require trust and vulnerability, but not just from you — from both of us! My deepest hope is to be a compassionate collaborator and a source of safety and insight as you make small steps towards big change.

Have you experienced life as chaotic and painful? Do you struggle with day to day coping in the midst of memories, strong feelings, or dissociation? Is it difficult to feel like you can live fully after what you have experienced? Does growth, healing, and freedom feel next to impossible? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be suffering from unresolved trauma. I know firsthand how intense and challenging a process of finding freedom from trauma can be.

Throughout our lives, many of us adopt narratives that don’t align with our actual experiences — they may leave out important details about our families or our make-up, the ways we were hurt, or the ways in which we have succeeded. But in all cases, they don’t do justice to the depth of our experiences, and in fact, when we have been abused or mistreated, the very purpose of these false narratives may be to obscure the truth of who we are and what we’ve been through. My greatest hope is that our work together will allow you to come home to yourself as you learn to tell stories that honor the core of who you are.

Change takes time and hard work, and frequently also requires compassion, perspectives, and ideas from outside our own minds. Therapy is one way to help make the changes you want in your life. Using compassion-focused therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and solution-focused models, I help adolescents and adults practice ways to move away from self-defeating behaviors into more peace.

You’ve tried talk therapy, but it hasn’t been very effective. You still feel anxious, on-edge, and overwhelmed most of the time and you just feel so stuck. You still feel depleted at work, stagnant in your relationships, and just generally on-edge. You’re looking for a different approach that’s goes deeper and creates lasting change. You’re tired of putting in all the work to feel better but only getting a temporary fix. I’m a somatic therapist and I help clients access trauma stored in both the mind and body, so they can actually feel better and for good.

My ideal client is a courageous heart who is looking to take control of their life to get what they want! I work best with clients who are motivated, ready to make a change in their lives and who are a little outside the norm. I want you to get what you want out of therapy, so we will set personalized goals and move forward with intention while handling any bumps along the way.