PuttingFamilyFirst

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ME Portrait of Michelle Ely
Online therapist

Michelle Ely

Compassionate, practical support for everyday challenges

Credentials
LCSW
Experience
6 years
Licensed in
California, Alaska
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Michelle

Michelle Ely is a licensed clinical social worker who draws on an eclectic, evidence-informed approach. She keeps sessions warm, interactive, and straightforward. Her work focuses on stress, anxiety, relationships, parenting, anger, trauma and grief.

Michelle is licensed in Alaska and brings practical skills to help people manage day-to-day challenges. She has six years as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and many more years in social work overall. Michelle prioritizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion in sessions.

Background and approach

She treats each person as the expert on their life and builds on existing strengths. In sessions she uses a mix of techniques chosen for each person’s situation. That can include tools for reducing anxiety, strategies for handling anger, and ways to navigate relationship and parenting concerns.

She also works on issues around self-esteem, life transitions, and compassion fatigue. Michelle’s practice includes attention to family and parenting concerns. She also addresses topics such as grief, trauma and abuse, LGBT issues, and career-related stress.

Other focus areas listed include caregiver stress, blended family issues, and communication problems. Michelle holds LCSW licensure in California and Alaska. She offers sessions in English and provides therapy through video calls, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging.

To begin, visitors complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to therapist availability.

Evidence-informed approaches for online care

Michelle uses an eclectic mix of evidence-based techniques tailored to each person. One common approach is cognitive-behavioral style work, which helps identify unhelpful thoughts and build practical skills for reducing anxiety, managing anger, and improving mood. Another frequent element is trauma-informed care, which focuses on safety, pacing, and coping strategies to work through past hurt without overwhelming the person.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Michelle discusses goals and preferences with each person and adjusts methods based on how they respond. Together they decide which tools to try and how to fit them into everyday life.

Online therapy here uses video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to schedule around busy days and to continue work from home or while traveling. The range of formats also lets someone choose a faster check-in or a longer conversation depending on what they need that week.

Frequently asked questions

What issues does Michelle address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and parenting concerns, anger, trauma and abuse, grief, self-esteem, depression, and coping with life changes among other topics.
What is her therapy style like?
Her approach is warm, interactive, and direct. She uses a flexible mix of techniques chosen to fit each person’s needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Michelle has six years as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and additional prior experience in social work before licensure.
Where is she licensed and based?
She holds LCSW licensure in California and Alaska with license numbers CA LCSW 86978 and AK LCSW 165433, and her listed location is Alaska.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences.
How do fees and billing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions based on the therapist’s availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Experience
6 years
Licensed
California, Alaska
Languages
English

Next step

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