- Warm and direct
- Skill building focus
- Goal oriented
About Michelle
Michelle Spencer is a licensed mental health counselor who focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, and self-esteem concerns. She has 12 years of experience and brings a straightforward, respectful approach to sessions. She tailors conversations and plans to each person's needs and supports clients through practical steps toward feeling better.
Her style is warm and down-to-earth. She listens first and helps people name what matters most. Sessions emphasize clear, doable strategies alongside space to process difficult feelings. Michelle aims to help people build confidence and calm, one step at a time.
Michelle uses tools from client-centered work to keep the focus on the person's goals. She also draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior. Dialectical behavior strategies add skills for emotion regulation and coping when feelings feel overwhelming.
Motivational interviewing helps when people are stuck or unsure about change. That method supports exploring ambivalence and finding personal reasons to try new habits. Together these approaches form a practical, goal-focused mix that adapts to each situation.
Based in Minnesota and licensed as an LMHC and LPCC, Michelle combines years of hands-on experience with a calm, encouraging manner. She helps people facing career strain, relationship stress, grief, addiction concerns, ADHD-related challenges, and more. The work is collaborative and paced to what feels manageable for each person.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding each person's goals and responding with respect and empathy. Online sessions using this approach let the therapist follow the client's lead while helping them set priorities and make decisions that fit their life.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and teaches step-by-step skills to change them. Online CBT often includes practical homework, thought records, and short skill practices between visits to build new habits for anxiety, depression, and stress.
Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, offers emotion regulation and distress-tolerance skills for intense feelings. Delivered online, these skills can be taught in short, focused segments and practiced in daily life to reduce reactivity and improve coping.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That choice can shift as progress is made, with regular check-ins to adjust plans together.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, shorten travel time, and allow steady check-ins between major life events. The focus is on practical tools that can be used in everyday moments rather than on any single delivery method.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Credentials
Minnesota, New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does Michelle help with?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, career and depression, plus addictions and relationship concerns. Many other areas are listed, including ADHD, grief, parenting, and workplace issues.
What is her therapy style?
Her approach is client-centered and practical. She listens first, then helps set clear goals and teaches skills to handle emotions and change unhelpful patterns.
How much experience does she have?
She has 12 years of professional experience working with a range of concerns like mood disorders, trauma, and life transitions.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds LMHC and LPCC credentials and is licensed in New York and Minnesota. Her practice is based in Minnesota.
Which languages are supported and are international clients possible?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not specify session formats. Please confirm the current session options before booking.
How does payment work and what does it cost?
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?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist 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.