- Client-centered listener
- Practical coping skills
- Recovery equals wellness
About Michele
Michele Fitzgerald is a licensed professional clinical counselor with 25 years of experience. She began her career in the 1980s working with adolescents in substance abuse treatment and has since worked in settings from Kodiak, Alaska to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Michele describes recovery as part of overall wellness and aims to help people build strength after hard experiences.
Her background includes substance abuse and mental health counseling, adoption and birth parent support, hospital social work, and long-term care work. This range gives her insight into different life stages and complex situations. Michele values listening first and treating mistakes as chances to learn.
In session she focuses on clear, practical work. She draws on client-centered listening to understand what matters most. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to address thinking patterns and dialectical behavior therapy skills to manage strong emotions.
Michele has experience supporting people dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma, grief, depression, relationship and family concerns, parenting strain, sleep and eating issues, anger, low self-esteem, career stress, and life transitions. She also addresses areas such as codependency, attachment and family-of-origin issues, abandonment, and adoption-related questions.
She sees recovery as synonymous with wellness and aims to help people notice small steps toward change. Michele is available on Thursdays from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How Michele Uses Therapy Approaches Online
Michele blends client-centered listening and cognitive behavioral therapy to help people make practical changes. Client-centered work means she focuses on what matters most to the person in front of her and responds with empathy and attention. Cognitive behavioral therapy involves identifying thought patterns that lead to distress and practicing new ways of thinking and acting to reduce symptoms.She also draws on dialectical behavior therapy skills to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills are useful when emotions feel overwhelming or when relationships are strained. Michele treats finding the right approach as a shared process and will work with clients to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences.
The biography does not list specific online or in-person session formats, so please confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals often use different approaches to match a person's schedule and goals, and Michele will help figure out the best plan for each client.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Credentials
Minnesota
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Michele address?
Michele works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, relationship and family issues, parenting strain, sleeping and eating difficulties, anger, self-esteem, career stress, and ADHD.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is grounded in listening and practical work. She combines client-centered listening with tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to help people manage emotions and change unhelpful patterns.
How long has she been practicing?
She has 25 years of professional experience, beginning in adolescent substance abuse treatment in the 1980s and later working in a range of clinical settings.
Where is she licensed and based?
She holds the LPCC credential as a Minnesota licensed professional clinical counselor and practices in Minnesota.
Can I work with her if I live outside the U.S.?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button and completing a short matching questionnaire, then schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.