Meet Michelle: real-world experience, genuine support, and a therapist who truly gets it

Before Michelle became a therapist, she was a registered nurse, a kinesiologist, and an ABM Neuromovement practitioner who worked alongside first responders. That background isn’t incidental; it’s the foundation of how she works.

Michelle understands, in a very real way, that stress, burnout, anxiety, and emotional pain aren’t “all in your head”; and she knows that many people have been made to feel that they are. Whether symptoms have been dismissed by health care professionals, minimized by people close to you, or quietly doubted by yourself, that experience of not being believed or truly understood can be its own kind of pain. Michelle gets that. She works from a place of genuine acceptance, and she’s not here to question what you’re feeling or tell you it isn’t as bad as it seems. 

Michelle brings structure, kindness and curiosity to therapy. She works collaboratively with clients to identify what’s getting in the way and figure out what to actually do about it,  not in a vague, open-ended way, but with real attention to practical, realistic next steps. She draws from cognitive behavioural therapy, person-centred therapy, and solution-focused approaches, and weaves in body-centred and experiential techniques for clients who want to work at that level. Her style is warm and grounded, and she approaches each person’s situation with genuine compassion, care and optimism.

Michelle works with individuals, couples, and families across a wide range of concerns. She has a particular interest in supporting parents, first responders, and others in high-demand or caregiving roles, and is also experienced in working with anxiety, burnout, chronic illness, life transitions, borderline personality disorder, grief, and relationship difficulties.

As a graduate intern therapist completing her Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, Michelle offers an affordable therapy option with sessions at $45 for individuals and $55 for couples and families. She works under the clinical supervision of Joy Sereda, a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), Registered Social Worker (RSW), and Approved Clinical Supervisor for the CRPO and BCACC with 20 years of clinical experience. 

Some of Michelle’s areas of focus:

• Anxiety and stress
• Parenting and family challenges
• ADHD and Autism Spectrum
• First responders and high-demand occupations
• Burnout and caregiver exhaustion
• Life transitions
• Relationship difficulties and couples support
• Grief and loss
• Chronic illness and body-mind connection
• Anger management
• Self-esteem and body image

If you’re looking for a therapist who brings real-world experience, a whole-person understanding of what you’re dealing with, and care you can afford, Michelle would love to meet with you. 

Visit Michelle’s page on our website to learn more, and schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.