Michelle Upton , LICSW

Michelle Upton is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with eight years of experience supporting individuals and families through meaningful life transitions. She has worked across individual, relationship, and systemic levels - addressing changes in physical or mental health, improving communication and clarifying role expectations, and coordinating care with medical teams and family caregivers.

Michelle approaches referrals with humility and care, recognizing that people often reach out during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. She strives to ensure each person feels supported and heard while working toward practical goals.

In clinical practice she partners with clients to identify which therapeutic strategies best fit their needs, often blending methods rather than relying on a single model. The approaches she most frequently uses include Narrative Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Solution-Based techniques, Mindfulness Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Those she has worked with commonly report that she brings a calming presence, steady kindness, and the know-how to help clients make progress. Michelle values balancing the joys and challenges of life and aims to collaborate with clients to help them establish that balance.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Client-centered therapy focuses on the person rather than the problem, creating a respectful, nonjudgmental space where clients explore their values, choices, and personal strengths; it is often helpful for relationship concerns, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, combines skills training in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness to help people manage intense emotions and improve relationships. Mindfulness therapy teaches present-moment awareness and gentle acceptance, offering tools to reduce reactivity and support stress and anxiety management.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Michelle collaborates with each client to determine which methods or combination of methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative process helps tailor sessions to what will be most useful for the individual.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can be scheduled by video call or phone, and shorter interactions can take place via live chat or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity during life transitions, and access licensed professionals from different locations while working toward personal goals.