About Michelle
Michelle Sims is a licensed clinical social worker with 21 years of experience in New York. She focuses on stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, anger, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. She aims to make the first step easier for people who are unsure where to begin.
She creates an open, nonjudgmental space where people can talk about hard things. Sessions focus on helping clients name what feels off and practice new ways of responding.
How Michelle works
Michelle guides practical steps to manage strong emotions and rebuild confidence. Her work also addresses issues that often sit beneath symptoms, such as abandonment and attachment concerns, communication problems, and feelings of guilt or shame. She helps people sort through relationship wounds and decision points like divorce and separation.
Financial stress, caregiver strain, and midlife questions are included in her approach. Michelle supports people dealing with impulsivity, isolation, body image, and struggles with purpose or motivation. She listens for patterns that keep problems repeating and helps clients try small changes to test new ways of living.
The focus is on real-life skills that can be used between sessions. In sessions she balances listening with practical coaching. People leave with specific ideas to practice and simple goals to track progress.
Her goal is to help clients feel more capable and clear about next steps.
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.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Anger management
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW-R |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 21 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | New York |
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 care
Michelle uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help people manage symptoms and build coping skills. One common focus is working on emotion regulation and coping strategies to reduce anxiety, manage anger, and handle overwhelming reactions. These approaches teach practical tools to notice feelings and choose different responses.Another emphasis is on processing trauma and abuse by helping clients tell their story at a pace that feels manageable. The work aims to reduce the hold of past events on daily life and to increase a sense of safety in relationships and routines.
Finding the right approach is part of the process and Michelle treats therapy as a collaboration. She will work with each person to figure out which techniques fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, giving flexibility for different days and schedules. Video sessions work well for longer conversations, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low, live chat allows quick check-ins, and text messaging supports ongoing reflection between meetings. These options make it possible to keep continuity of care when life is busy.
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Common questions
What concerns does Michelle focus on?
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
What is her professional background?
What credentials and location are listed?
Which languages are supported and can international clients connect?
What session formats are available?
How are fees and billing handled?
How do I begin working with her?
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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