Michelle McHugh , LICSW, LCSW

Michelle McHugh is a licensed clinical social worker with more than two decades of experience supporting people through stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, relationship challenges, grief, mood disorders, and life transitions. She holds LICSW and LCSW credentials - LICSW meaning Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and LCSW meaning Licensed Clinical Social Worker - and is licensed to practice in Alabama and Arkansas. Her clinical background began after earning a Master of Social Work and has included roles in inpatient addiction rehabilitation, inpatient psychiatric care, and outpatient mental health clinics.

Over the course of her career she developed focused expertise in areas such as LGBTQIA concerns, substance use disorders, trauma and post-traumatic stress, codependency, shame reduction, and issues related to aging and family of origin. She also maintains more than a decade of active service in the Army National Guard as a Behavioral Health Officer and has dedicated years to working with active Guard soldiers and military veterans from all branches.

Her approach is collaborative and client-centered, avoiding stigmatizing labels while tailoring evidence-based methods to each person. She integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness practices, Motivational Interviewing, trauma-focused techniques, and EMDR when appropriate, and she draws on 12-step principles and skills from dialectical approaches as needed. Michelle applies these tools to help clients build coping skills, improve relationships, and pursue meaningful, lasting change.

Evidence-Based Approaches for Online Care

Michelle McHugh uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and EMDR along with mindfulness-based practices to address a range of concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps identify and shift unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, and stress, offering practical skills for daily life. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused therapy that helps people process painful memories and reduce their emotional intensity, and it can be effective for post-traumatic stress and related symptoms. Mindfulness Therapy teaches attention and awareness skills that support emotion regulation, reduce rumination, and improve coping across issues like anxiety, stress, and sleep difficulties.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Michelle collaborates with each person to determine the best fit based on their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting methods as progress is made and priorities evolve. Therapy is a joint effort and she works alongside clients to set clear steps and measurable goals.

Offering care through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging provides flexibility for different schedules and life circumstances. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care, attend sessions from home or while traveling, and choose the communication style that feels most comfortable, all of which support consistent engagement and progress.