Michelle Smith

Michelle Smith is a licensed mental health counselor with 15 years of experience. She holds LPC and LIMHP credentials and practices from Nebraska. Michelle focuses on helping people move through hard times and find a clearer sense of who they are.

She approaches therapy in a calm, steady way. Sessions often focus on reducing stress, managing anxiety, and addressing mood concerns like depression and bipolar disorder. Michelle also supports people coping with trauma and abuse, grief, compassion fatigue, and major life changes.

Her work centers on helping clients notice what matters to them and take small, practical steps toward those values. She uses straightforward tools from cognitive behavioral ideas and acceptance-focused work to change unhelpful thinking and strengthen daily routines. Attachment-based and client-centered ways of working shape how she builds trust and listens closely to each person’s story.

Michelle pays attention to how past relationships and family patterns affect present choices. She helps people untangle issues like codependency, communication problems, and abandonment pain so they can make different relationship decisions. She also addresses identity and gender questions, including support around LGBT matters and gender dysphoria concerns.

If someone is feeling stuck after loss, burnout, or a big life shift, Michelle aims to help them rebuild. The focus is on practical coping, self-compassion, and creating a meaningful next chapter.

Therapeutic approaches for online support

Michelle often combines Trauma-Focused Therapy with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) when appropriate. Trauma-Focused Therapy focuses on gently processing past hurts and the ways those experiences show up now, while ACT helps people name what matters and take value-driven steps even when emotions are strong.

She also draws on attachment-based ideas to understand how early relationship patterns shape current reactions. Attachment-based work looks at how people connect and helps them build more reliable ways of reaching out and setting boundaries.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. Together they decide which methods to emphasize and adjust the plan as needed.

Confirm current session formats before booking, as specific online options are not listed in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people use video or audio depending on what feels manageable for a given day. Licensed professionals can tailor pacing and homework to fit everyday life.