Michelle Ely , LCSW

Michelle Ely is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in California and Alaska who brings decades of social work background combined with six years practicing as an LCSW. She focuses on helping people move beyond past traumatic experiences, reduce stress and anxiety, and address relationship and parenting concerns, and she also supports work on anger management, grief, self-esteem, career transitions, caregiving stress, and intimacy-related issues.

Her approach is warm, interactive, and direct. She uses an eclectic mix of evidence-based therapeutic techniques that are chosen to match each person’s needs and circumstances, and she treats people with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. Michelle emphasizes collaboration, helping clients identify and build on their existing strengths while providing practical interventions to meet current challenges.

Michelle believes each person is the expert on their own story and that tapping into personal strengths helps create meaningful change. She acknowledges the courage it takes to begin therapy and aims to guide and support clients through the initial steps and beyond as they work toward their goals.

Evidence-Based Approaches and Flexible Online Care

Michelle Ely uses practical, evidence-based strategies tailored to common challenges such as trauma, stress, and relationship difficulties. Trauma-informed approaches focus on helping people process and work through past traumatic experiences at a pace that feels manageable. Skills-based interventions target stress and anxiety by teaching concrete tools for emotional regulation, coping, and reducing unhelpful patterns. Relational and parenting-focused work concentrates on improving communication, setting boundaries, and strengthening family and partnership dynamics.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process, and Michelle works collaboratively with each person to determine which techniques fit their needs, goals, and preferences. She and the client discuss options and adjust methods over time so the work remains responsive and effective.

Online therapy offers practical benefits for people with busy schedules or limited local options. Through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, clients can access care with greater flexibility, attend sessions from home or other convenient locations, and maintain continuity of care despite life transitions or geographic distance. Licensed professionals can adapt these formats to support meaningful therapeutic progress.