Michelle Fennessy , LCSW

Michelle Fennessy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Florida who brings thoughtful, practical care to people facing stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, grief, and many other life challenges. She earned a Master of Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Mount Holyoke College, training that informs her therapeutic skill and clinical judgment. Michelle respects the courage it takes to reach out for help and meets each person with steady compassion and a focus on strengths.

Her work is informed by cognitive and goal-oriented methods alongside an appreciation for resiliency and energy shifts that influence thoughts and feelings. Michelle helps clients navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, heartbreak, addictive or self-destructive patterns such as binge-eating or over-drinking, and the particular stresses of expatriate life, which she understands from living and working abroad. She also supports people dealing with family conflict, parenting challenges, intimacy and commitment issues, and career or life transitions.

Michelle aims to help people notice their existing strengths, adjust habits that no longer serve them, and find thoughts or practices that feel better and open the way to more satisfying relationships and daily life. Her approach combines practical tools with compassionate guidance so clients can move toward goals they value and a greater sense of well-being.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Healing and Growth

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people clarify what matters most to them and take small steps toward those values even when difficult thoughts or feelings arise. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and life transitions that feel overwhelming.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new, more balanced ways of thinking and behaving. CBT is often helpful for anxiety, depression, and habit change, including addictive or self-destructive behaviors.

Mindfulness Therapy emphasizes present-moment awareness and gentle curiosity about thoughts and emotions, offering tools to reduce reactivity and build emotional regulation for stress, grief, and relationship challenges.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work together. Michelle will collaborate with each person to match methods to their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting strategies as progress unfolds so the therapy fits the individual rather than asking the individual to fit the method.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging - making it easier to access consistent support around work, family, travel, or differing time zones. This variety of options helps people maintain continuity in care and incorporate therapeutic work into a busy life.