More About Michele

Passionate About Helping Others

I've been helping others as a Social Worker since 1993, originally working with children, adolescents, and their families via both outpatient and inpatient mental health services.

Since 2001, I have enjoyed helping others through Michigan Medicine's Department of Psychiatry. I've held a variety of roles, and gradually focused my clinical care with the adult population. I work with individuals 18 years old and older.

"To get through the hardest journey, we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping."

"Nothing is set in stone...rather a dirt path. The more and more you tread, the harder it is to change."

I work in partnership with individuals to help identify and remove barriers to their mental wellness. I take a bio-psycho-social approach in understanding contributors to someone's present struggles. From there, I utilize a strengths-based perspective to help develop additional coping and communication skills, foster insight, and engender hope.

Therapy modalities need to be flexible, to accomodate individual needs, preferences, and strengths. I am trained in using tools from Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Dynamic perspectives. I am confident in working with most mental health concerns, to include concerns related to anxiety, trauma, depression, and bipolar. If we are not a fit for any reason, I am happy to connect you to other therapists I know.

While I do not offer couple's or family systems therapy, I believe that having an engaged support network is integral to wellness. I am open to having others participate as part of someone's care, at the client's agreement. Where appropriate, I am interested in collaborating with your other healthcare providers for integrated care.

Compassion is judgment-free. I welcome adult individuals of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientation and cultures. Therapy is offered in a comfortable and private office space.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Michigan State University, Graduated Phi Beta Kappa
Master of Social Work, University of Michigan
25 years of experience in clinical care delivery and health care administration
Staff Lead since 2012, and Co-Chair for several years of Michigan Medicine's Psychiatry Patient and Family Advisory Committee, where the focus is on improving the planning and health care delivery through active partnership with patients and their family members, "Working with rather than doing for or to."
Field Instructor for Graduate Students in the University of Michigan School of Social Work since 2010