Michele Rowland-Bird
Family-focused LCSW helping parents
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Experience
- 28 years
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Format
- Online sessions
About Michele
Michele Rowland-Bird is a licensed clinical social worker in California with 28 years of experience. She focuses on family and parenting concerns along with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and other life changes. Michele listens closely and aims to create a calm space where parents can talk through immediate worries and plan practical next steps.
She teaches cognitive behavioral skills in clear, everyday language. That means helping people spot unhelpful thoughts and test whether those thoughts fit the facts.
Background and approach
When thoughts shift, emotions and actions often change too, which can open the door to better days. Michele has worked with children, families, and adults, including people who have been in foster care. She draws on nearly three decades of hands-on practice to match tools to real-life parenting challenges.
Her approach is straightforward and skills-based rather than abstract. The practice offers several ways to connect, and sessions are structured around teaching and practicing new skills. Michele does not offer couples therapy or messaging-only therapy.
She emphasizes steady progress through repeated practice and clear feedback. Starting therapy is framed as a step of courage. Michele encourages families seeking help for parenting, behavior, mood, or trauma-related concerns to consider practical skill-building as a route to change.
How Michele’s CBT Approach Works Online
CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, helps people spot unhelpful thoughts and test whether those thoughts match reality. In practice this means identifying specific worrying thoughts, trying small experiments, and tracking what happens so new patterns replace old ones. This approach often helps with depression and anxiety symptoms and with everyday stressors.Therapy online keeps the same focus on clear skills and practice. Michele works collaboratively to choose which tools fit a person’s needs and goals. She will discuss options, try techniques, and adjust the plan together so the approach matches personal preferences and what’s working.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which makes scheduling more flexible around family life and work. Video calls let you practice skills in a conversational setting. Phone sessions are useful when video isn’t convenient. Live chat and text-based messaging allow shorter check-ins and written reminders of skills to use between sessions. These options aim to make regular practice easier for busy parents and caregivers.
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.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
Also works with
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Trauma and abuse
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 28 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
Next step
Talk to Michele
- Takes a few minutes
- Nothing to set up just to look
- Stop at any point