Michele McShea , LCSW

Michele McShea is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 19 years of practice in Illinois. She focuses on helping people feel steadier when life feels overwhelming. Michele works with adults who are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, and women's issues among other concerns. Her approach blends short-term tools and deeper exploration. She uses practical strategies to reduce symptoms and also talks through the life patterns that keep problems returning. Michele draws on methods like cognitive behavioral work and psychodynamic ideas to make sense of feelings and behaviors. Clients often bring worries about intimacy, self-esteem, body image, or the fallout of trauma and abuse. Michele also addresses issues such as grief, addiction, communication problems, and concerns related to LGBT identity. She supports people working through divorce, separation, or family of origin difficulties. Sessions aim to build concrete coping skills alongside increased insight. Michele may use solution-focused techniques for immediate goals and existential questions when people face meaning or life-direction issues. Hypnotherapy is another tool she may incorporate for specific concerns. People describe the process as collaborative and paced to fit their needs. Michele helps clients set achievable steps and track progress over time. Her goal is to help people move toward greater calm, clearer choices, and improved everyday functioning.

Approaches that translate well to online care

Many clients benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety and depression. CBT offers clear exercises and homework that fit well with video or messaging formats.

Existential therapy helps people facing big life questions about meaning, choice, and direction; it uses conversation to clarify values and next steps when life feels uncertain. Solution-focused therapy concentrates on practical, short-term goals and small changes that add up quickly, which can be useful for specific issues like communication or coping skills.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work collaboratively to decide which methods match a person's needs, goals, and preferences. That may mean starting with solution-focused steps and adding deeper exploration or hypnotherapy later if needed.

Online formats offer flexibility: video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited, live chat can be a shorter check-in, and text-based messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while working with licensed professionals who guide the plan and track progress.