Michele McShea, LCSW - Therapist in Illinois

About Michele

Michele McShea is a licensed clinical social worker with 19 years of experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, and life changes. She practices in Illinois and brings practical support alongside deeper conversation. Michele aims to make therapy understandable and useful for everyday life.

Her style balances looking inward and teaching coping skills. Sessions often blend talking about patterns from the past with steps to ease current symptoms.

Background and approach

Michele uses several approaches to match what each person needs, from short-term problem solving to deeper exploration of meaning and history. Clients work on things like communication, intimacy, codependency, and family-of-origin wounds. She also addresses issues such as addiction, grief, shame, and challenges facing LGBT people.

Michele helps people build confidence, reduce isolation, and handle the hard parts of relationships and personal change. Therapy sessions include clear goals and practical homework when helpful. Michele often uses techniques that change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and she can also guide deeper reflection about life choices and patterns.

Her aim is steady progress rather than quick fixes. People who come to Michele can expect a collaborative pace and straightforward feedback. She emphasizes both coping strategies and lasting shifts in how clients feel and relate.

The approach is calm, direct, and focused on real-life results.

Approaches that guide online work and change

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying and changing thoughts and behaviors that cause distress. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress because it gives clear steps people can practice between sessions.

Existential Therapy helps people face questions about meaning, purpose, and how they want to live. This approach can help when life transitions, emptiness, or commitment concerns feel overwhelming and a person wants deeper clarity.

Michele treats finding the right approach as a team effort. She will talk with each client about goals and preferences, and then suggest techniques that fit those needs. Over time the plan can shift, matching what actually helps as work progresses.

Online therapy makes regular work more flexible. Video calls let people meet face to face from home, phone sessions offer a simpler option, and live chat or text messaging suit those who prefer brief, ongoing contact. These formats help fit therapy into busy schedules and make it easier to keep momentum between sessions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Existential Therapy

Takes the larger questions seriously: meaning, choice, mortality, responsibility. Suited to periods when the difficulty is less a symptom than a sense that something has to change.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Exploring how earlier relationships and patterns still shape the present, often over a longer stretch of time. It relies on conversation and reflection rather than exercises.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Michele commonly address?

Michele helps with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, and coping with life changes. She also works with grief, trauma and abuse, addictions, and LGBT-related concerns.

What is Michele's general therapy style?

Her style mixes practical skills with deeper conversation. She focuses on concrete steps to reduce symptoms while also looking at patterns that shape feelings and choices.

How long has Michele been practicing therapy?

She has 19 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and groups in clinical settings.

What credentials and location are listed?

She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in Illinois with license number IL LCSW 149013603.

Are sessions available in other languages or internationally?

Sessions are offered in English and Michele is available to work with international clients.

What session formats are offered?

Therapy is offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different preferences.

How are fees and billing handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How does someone begin working with Michele?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling sessions based on therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Stress, Anxiety
LGBT
Relationship issues

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 19 years
Licensed: Illinois
Languages: English

Next step

Talk to Michele

Takes a few minutes
Nothing to set up just to look
Stop at any point

Book with Michele