Michelle Fennessy

Michelle Fennessy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Florida with 20 years of experience. She earned her master’s degree from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College. She encourages people to recognize the courage it takes to seek help and aims to make beginning therapy feel less intimidating.

She draws on real-life experience as both a therapist and a former therapy client, so she knows opening up can take time. Michelle looks for strengths in each person and treats clients with warmth and respect. She emphasizes that feeling better often begins with knowing you are not alone.

In session she uses practical, goal-focused methods to help people manage anxiety, depression, trauma, heartbreak, and addictive or self-destructive behaviors. She also addresses relationship strain described as “middle marriage” crisis and the stresses connected to expatriate life, informed by living and working abroad.

Her clinical work blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas, cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, solution-focused steps, and Internal Family Systems perspectives. Michelle often helps people notice small shifts in thought that change how they feel and act.

People come to her for help with grief, self-esteem, career stress, parenting strain, compassion fatigue, and coping with life changes. She frames goals plainly and works to make therapy useful in everyday life.

How therapy approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice what matters to them and take small actions toward those values, even when hard feelings are present. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and adjusting to life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce distress and improve coping with everyday problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will listen to a person's goals and preferences and then suggest techniques that fit. This is a collaborative process, with adjustments made based on what feels most helpful over time.

The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Many people find online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins around work breaks, or remove travel time so appointments are simpler to keep. A collaborative therapist will help plan sessions that match practical needs and personal goals.