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About Michelle

Michelle was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Texas Tech University (wreck em' Tech!), where she studied Community, Family, and Addiction Services, followed by Clinical Mental Health Counseling. 

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She has over ten years of experience in social services and the psychology field, mostly in acute care, including community mental health care, crisis intervention for domestic violence survivors, social work for inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, and has worked in all levels of care for substance abuse treatment including intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), sober living, and residential care. Lastly, she has been in private practice working primarily with trauma and addiction recovery since 2019. 

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Image by Valentina Ivanova

Michelle's experience with severe mental illness, trauma and addiction led her to the conclusion that the root cause of suffering is almost always unprocessed trauma and, often, separation from God. This understanding informs the way she conceptualizes her client's suffering, and guides her approach in treating the whole person in mind, body and spirit.

 

Michelle's therapeutic approach is deeply compassionate, gentle yet challenging, attachment-oriented, and emphasizes addressing the "God-shaped hole" inside the human heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11). She believes that walking with the Lord in our mental health journey gives us direction to a "spirit-led life" and a foundation to navigate a broken and suffering world. 

 

Michelle's faith-based approach is supported by neuroscience and various evidence-based therapeutic modalities including: Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, "Parts Work", and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies.

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"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.​"

Matthew 11:28

 

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the

soul and healing to the bones." 

Proverbs 16:24

Michelle's Education, Training and Experience

Education

Advanced Training and Continued Education

Experience

  • Master's (M.Ed) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling - Texas Tech University Graduate School

 

  • Bachelor's in Community, Family and Addiction Services, focus in Addictive Disorders and Recovery - Texas Tech University

  • Biblical Counselor Training through the American Association of Christian Counselors

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  • Somatic and Attachment-Focused EMDR (Eye-Movement, Desensitization and Reprocessing) Basic Training

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  • Advanced EMDR Training for Complex Trauma and Dissociative Personality Structures

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  • Somatic Psychology Training

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  • Internal Family Systems (IFS) Intensive Training for Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction 

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  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Training

  • Private Practice, 2019-present, specializing in Trauma, Complex PTSD, Codependency, and Addiction Recovery.

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  • Addiction Recovery Therapist. All levels of care including:​​

    • ​​​​Intensive Outpatient (IOP)

    • Partial Hospitalization (PHP)

    • Residential â€‹

    • Sober Living

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  • Psychiatric Social Work for Inpatient Mental Health Hospitalization.

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  • Community Mental Health Services, Clinical Coordinator for Adult Behavioral Health Department 

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  • Crisis Intervention for a Residential Domestic Violence Shelter serving Women and Children.

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  • Clinical Internships:

    • Community Mental Health Agency and Psychiatric Hospital, provided in-home therapy, coping skills training, crisis stabilization, and level of care transition to and from hospital.

    • Adoption Agency Intern

    • Assistance in the school system with children suffering from learning disabilities and behavioral issues, elementary - middle school age

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