Michelle is a Marriage and Family Therapist who is licensed to practice psychotherapy in Kentucky and Indiana. She believes everyone deserves to be their best self and be happy, with the steps to healing and growth beginning anytime in life, regardless of age or previous circumstance.
Michelle’s clinical practice interests include healing and thriving after narcissistic abuse; co-parenting; blending families; childhood trauma; adult children of alcoholics; divorce; self-esteem; career changes; grief; and reconnecting couples. A former school-based therapist, she helps elementary through high school aged individuals and their guardians navigate issues such as ADHD; adoption; foster care; suicidal ideation; adjustment disorders; anxiety; depression; and mood disorders. Michelle supports teen/young adult gymnasts, figure skaters, and dancers who experience performance anxiety and injury trauma. She leads psychoeducational support groups on the topics of narcissistic partners; career pressures; and blending family parenting. Individuals, romantic partners, and families of all orientations (LGBTQI+, consensual non-monogamy, kink) are welcome.
Michelle has a personal daily practice of yoga and meditation and incorporates elements of mindfulness, spirituality, and aromatherapy, as appropriate, in her practice.
Michelle spent over twenty-years working as an information technology consultant and C-suite executive in large public and private healthcare organizations across the United States. She has extensive knowledge of healthcare operations including HIPAA; telehealth; interoperability and electronic health records; and understands the stressors faced by patients, family members, clinicians, and healthcare leaders. Her experience, in conjunction with her training in family systems, has further developed her interest in organizations and teams – the composition of the members and the relational interactions needed to meet common goals.
Michelle earned a Master degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Campbellsville University, a Master degree in Education from Hofstra University, and a Bachelor degree in Psychology from the University of Buffalo (SUNY). She has completed coursework in health policy and management at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service including a capstone project exploring patient-focused care and family inclusion in the treatment of adult cancer patients in an inpatient hospital setting.
Michelle is a past charter board member of the Kentucky Interest Network (KIN), the Kentucky affiliate program of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and a charter inductee of Delta Kappa, Alpha Delta Chapter, The International Marriage & Family Therapy Honor Society. Michelle, with her Campbellsville University teammate, placed second in the 2018 AAMFT Student Ethics competition, Master’s/PDI category.
Michelle is Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security by The American Health Information Management Association (AHiMA), one of only 650 individuals (as of 12/31/2022) in the United States and Canada to qualify for the designation. She serves as Oak & Associates, LLC’s HIPAA Privacy and Security Compliance Officer.