About Michelle
Michelle Clisby is a California licensed clinical social worker with 15 years of experience helping people navigate hard moments. She focuses on relationship and family concerns, low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and life changes. Michelle aims to make the first step feel less overwhelming for someone reaching out.
In sessions she creates a calm space where clients can speak honestly. Conversations focus on practical steps and clearer understanding, not judgment. Michelle listens for what matters most and helps people set goals they can try between meetings.
How Michelle works
She addresses addiction, grief, trauma and abuse, and intimacy-related issues with attention to each person’s pace. Parenting stresses, caregiving burden, blended family challenges, and adoption or foster care concerns are also part of her work. Michelle includes support for career questions, anger, commitment and communication problems, and the effects of bipolar disorder or ADHD when relevant.
She also helps with forgiveness, emptiness, and coping with end-of-life or hospice situations. Her approach is evidence-based and practical. She helps clients identify small, achievable changes and builds on progress over time.
The goal is better daily functioning, stronger relationships, and more confidence. Sessions are available through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Michelle practices in California and conducts therapy in English.
What Michelle works with
The areas below are the ones Michelle selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Self esteem
Also listed
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Coaching
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Parenting issues
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self-love
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 15 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | California |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Evidence-based approaches and online access
Michelle uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques tailored to each person's needs. One common approach she uses focuses on identifying patterns in thoughts and behaviors and testing small changes in daily life to reduce anxiety and depression. Another approach emphasizes building healthier communication and problem-solving skills to improve relationships and manage conflict.Choosing the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with clients about their goals, try methods that fit their situation, and adjust the plan over time. This collaborative process helps find what feels most useful and sustainable.
Online sessions are available through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to offer flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be helpful when bandwidth is limited or a quicker check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging make it easier to fit short updates or coaching-style support into a busy day. These options help people access care from different locations and schedules while keeping the focus on practical progress.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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