About Michelle
Michelle Varady is a licensed clinical social worker with ten years of practice supporting people in California and beyond. She focuses on helping people manage anxiety, stress, depression, addictions, and big life changes. Michelle uses clear, practical tools so sessions feel grounded and useful from the start.
Her background includes work with mood disorders, bipolar disorder, panic attacks, and trauma and abuse. She also helps people facing grief, low self-esteem, sleep problems, and challenges linked to ADHD.
How Michelle works
Michelle pays attention to co-occurring concerns such as substance use, codependency, impulsivity, and communication problems so care can address what shows up together. In session she draws on several approaches that include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness strategies, solution-focused techniques, and somatic work.
That mix lets her teach skills for managing intense emotions and also attend to physical reactions people notice in their bodies. Sessions move between skill building and talking through the life patterns that keep problems repeating. Michelle aims for a collaborative style.
She listens for what a person already knows about themselves and sets goals that match real-life needs. Sessions are practical and paced to each person's rhythm, with tools to try between meetings so progress continues outside the session time. She offers therapy in English and accepts international clients.
Michelle provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit changing schedules and daily demands.
Michelle lists 7 ways of working on the entry:
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.
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 10 |
| 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
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Michelle often uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors; this approach is practical and focuses on clear steps to reduce symptoms such as anxiety and depression. She also uses dialectical behavior therapy skills to teach emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and better interpersonal coping when emotions run high. Mindfulness therapy is used alongside these methods to build attention to the present moment and reduce reactivity.Finding the right approach is a shared process. Michelle will discuss your needs, goals, and preferences and try techniques that feel useful. Together you'll track what helps most and adapt the plan as progress unfolds, combining skills practice with discussion of life patterns when helpful.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for in-depth conversations and skills practice, while phone sessions are a lower-bandwidth option and can fit into a work break. Live chat and messaging work well for brief check-ins, homework support, or when typed communication feels easier. These options make scheduling flexible and let therapy fit into day-to-day life.
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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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