- Collaborative style
- Practical strategies
- Empathy driven
About Michele
Michele Koenes is a licensed social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, and changes in everyday thoughts and habits. She approaches care with a calm, collaborative style so clients set the pace. Michele has 11 years of clinical experience and draws on practical skills shaped by prior work in law and teaching.
She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings with adults and older adults. That background means she is comfortable with complicated situations and can help people navigate losses, relationship strain, and shifts in mood or routine. Michele focuses on concrete strategies that people can try between sessions.
Michele uses a mix of approaches to match what a person needs in the moment. She leans on acceptance and commitment ideas, attachment-informed perspective, cognitive tools, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy. In sessions she listens, helps name patterns, and practices small changes that can alter daily thoughts and habits.
Her prior roles as a litigation attorney and as a teacher inform how she explains things and sets achievable goals. Michele emphasizes empathy and lets clients move at a comfortable pace while working toward clearer thinking and better daily routines.
Clients are invited to bring whatever feels important, including difficult or shameful topics. Michele aims to hold a steady, practical space where people can try new ways of coping and notice progress over time.
She has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings with adults and older adults. That background means she is comfortable with complicated situations and can help people navigate losses, relationship strain, and shifts in mood or routine. Michele focuses on concrete strategies that people can try between sessions.
Michele uses a mix of approaches to match what a person needs in the moment. She leans on acceptance and commitment ideas, attachment-informed perspective, cognitive tools, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy. In sessions she listens, helps name patterns, and practices small changes that can alter daily thoughts and habits.
Her prior roles as a litigation attorney and as a teacher inform how she explains things and sets achievable goals. Michele emphasizes empathy and lets clients move at a comfortable pace while working toward clearer thinking and better daily routines.
Clients are invited to bring whatever feels important, including difficult or shameful topics. Michele aims to hold a steady, practical space where people can try new ways of coping and notice progress over time.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsRelationship issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDissociationEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsGuilt and shameHoardingImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingTrauma-Focused Therapy
Experience
11+ years
Credentials
Michigan, California, New Hampshire
Languages
English
How her approaches translate to online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages noticing thoughts without getting stuck in them and choosing actions that match values. It can help with anxiety, depression, and changing daily habits. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and trying small behavioral experiments to shift mood and routine. It is often useful for worry, sleep problems, and habits related to eating or substance use. Attachment-Based Therapy pays attention to how early relationships shape expectations in adult relationships and can help with trust, abandonment fears, and communication issues.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Michele will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they’ll pick strategies to try and check in to adjust the plan as needed.
If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking so you know what formats are available. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into busy days, shorten check-ins when needed, and avoid travel time. Many people find remote sessions let them practice new habits in real life between appointments while still getting regular support from a licensed professional.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Michele address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, bipolar mood concerns, addiction issues, and problems with sleep or eating, among other everyday difficulties.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and responsive. She listens first, then helps people try practical changes at a comfortable pace.
What is her clinical background?
Michele has 11 years of experience and has worked in inpatient and outpatient settings with adults and older adults.
What credentials does she hold and where is she based?
She holds LMSW and LCSW credentials and practices from Michigan.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients supported?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions scheduled and what does cost look like?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Michele?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.