Michelle Upton , LICSW

Michelle Upton is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, relationship struggles, and issues with self-esteem. She supports those coping with life changes, addiction concerns, parenting strain, workplace stress, and compassion fatigue. Michelle practices with a calm, direct manner and focuses on practical steps people can use right away.

She frames sessions around what matters most to the person in front of her. Michelle listens first, then helps people set small goals. She uses plain language and concrete tools so clients can try things between sessions and track progress.

Michelle brings eight years of experience as an LICSW and has worked with people navigating medical, caregiver, and aging-related concerns. That background informs how she coordinates care and talks about complex life transitions. Her work also touches on fertility, cancer, and first responder stress when those issues affect daily life.

Her approach blends client-centered work with cognitive behavioral strategies and mindfulness exercises. Michelle also draws on dialectical behavior therapy and narrative techniques when they fit the client’s goals. She prefers to tailor methods rather than use a one-size-fits-all plan.

Sessions aim to reduce overwhelm and improve everyday functioning. Michelle helps people develop coping skills, clearer communication, and steadier routines. She emphasizes practical choices so change feels manageable rather than distant.

Approaches for online therapy and practical care

Michelle commonly uses client-centered therapy, which means sessions start with the person’s priorities and focus on building a trusting relationship. That approach helps when someone needs support sorting feelings, making decisions, or finding personal meaning in life events.

She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify unhelpful thoughts and test them with real-life experiments. CBT is useful for anxiety, low mood, and stress because it breaks problems into manageable steps and teaches specific skills.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills appear in her work when emotion regulation, distress tolerance, or improving communication is the goal. DBT tools help people pause, choose responses, and practice new behaviors in everyday situations.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. Michelle works collaboratively to try methods and adjust based on what helps most. She will discuss options, set goals together, and change strategies if something isn’t working.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls let conversation feel most like an in-person visit, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat fits short check-ins, and text-based messaging supports ongoing coaching between sessions. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or medical schedules and to use tools when challenges arise.