What is Therapy Like With Michelle?
A place to slow down, feel met, and breathe again.
Gentle, relationship-focused, trauma therapy for adults in Pennsylvania
You don’t have to have the right words or a clear reason to start therapy. Many people come to me simply because life feels too heavy to carry alone.
Maybe you recognize yourself here:
🌱 You feel anxious all the time, your mind is racing, and your body is never at rest.
🌱 You feel exhausted, like no matter how much you give or do, it’s never enough.
🌱 You long for closeness, but often end up feeling like you don’t belong, feel lonely, misunderstood, or hurt in relationships.
🌱 You feel like you’re “too much” one moment and invisible the next.
🌱 You carry shame, self-doubt, guilt, or the sense that something is deeply wrong with you.
🌱 You find yourself spacing out, shutting down, or feeling far away from yourself.
🌱 You feel a deep sadness or emptiness that lingers even when everything seems fine on the outside.
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not broken. These are human responses to the weight of what you’ve been through.
What Our Work Together Feels Like
Therapy with me isn’t about being analyzed or fixed. It’s about being met where you are, with care for your pace, your boundaries, and all your humanness.
🌱 Gentle and Human: You are welcome to bring all parts of yourself, even the ones you usually hide.
🌱 No Pressure: We move at a gentle pace. You decide what feels safe enough to share.
🌱 Collaborative: I don’t sit above you with answers. We walk together.
🌱 Body and Mind: We listen not only to thoughts, but to how your body carries what you’ve lived through.
🌱 Compassionate Truth-telling: I meet you with kindness while holding space for your story.
Healing in Relationship
What heals most isn’t a technique. It’s being seen and held in relationship.
My role isn’t to judge, diagnose, or manage you, but to sit with you in the hard places and remind you that you don’t have to do this alone.
In our work together, you might:
🌼 Feel heard without having to over-explain.
🌼 Reconnect with your own inner knowing.
🌼 Begin to see your sensitivity as a strength.
🌼 Learn gentler ways to relate to the parts of you that hurt.
🌼 Experience what it feels like to be accepted as you are, all of you.
You Don’t Need to Be Ready for Everything
You don’t need to have it all figured out to begin therapy.
Therapy isn’t about being “ready.” It’s about having a safe enough place to not be okay. If even a small part of you feels curious or tired of carrying things alone, that’s enough.
What You Might Want to Know
What can I expect from therapy with you?
Expect warmth, honesty, and a space where you don’t have to edit yourself. I bring presence and a deep respect for your story. Our work is collaborative, creative, and grounded in empowerment rather than perfection.
Do you accept insurance?
I am a cash-pay-only provider. This means I do not bill insurance. Choosing to stay outside of insurance allows me to co-create your care rather than your care being dictated by insurance.
Do you offer a sliding scale?
I reserve a limited number of sliding-scale spots for those with financial need, prioritizing folks who are historically marginalized or under-resourced. Reach out if you need this. Let’s talk about what’s accessible.
Do I need to have a diagnosis or big trauma to work with you?
Nope, and Self-Diagnosis is valid here. You don’t need to be in crisis or have a diagnosis to deserve care. You might come with anxiety, depression, burnout, grief, identity shifts, chronic illness, neurodivergence, or just a deep desire to reconnect to your inner voice. All parts of you are welcome here.
Do you only work with people from marginalized communities?
I welcome all identities and backgrounds, but my practice especially holds space for those who have felt unseen, stigmatized, or out of place in traditional therapy settings.
What if I’ve had a bad experience with therapy before?
That’s okay. That makes sense. I’m not here to fix you or mold you into something palatable. I’m here to witness, support, and help you reconnect to yourself and others. Your pace, your voice, your knowing are always honored. You are the expert of you.
Your story is welcome here.