PuttingFamilyFirst

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MT Portrait of Michelle Tarbell
Online therapist

Michelle Tarbell

Family-focused therapist helping parents and adults

Credentials
LMFT
Experience
21 years
Licensed in
Texas
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Michelle

Michelle Tarbell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Texas with more than 21 years of clinical experience. She centers sessions on the client's concerns and helps parents and adults facing family stress, grief, anxiety, or life transitions. Her style is straightforward and practical, aimed at helping people find clearer ways forward.

She typically works with adults and teens in individual settings on this site rather than full family sessions.

Background and approach

Michelle draws on client-centered methods to create a respectful, collaborative space. She invites clients to guide the conversation while helping set achievable goals. Sessions may include talking through parenting challenges, coping with trauma or loss, and managing anger or low self-worth.

She also addresses issues such as ADHD, compassion fatigue, and blended family concerns. Her background includes two decades running a independent practice in Texas. That experience brought repeated work with adoption and foster care questions, attachment and abandonment concerns, and caregiver stress.

She has also supported people through divorce, domestic violence aftermath, and major life changes. Michelle emphasizes clear communication and practical steps. She helps clients develop skills for stress management, improved family communication, and steadier mood regulation.

Her approach is steady and goal-oriented, with room for each person’s priorities. Sessions are conducted in English and use a mix of formats to fit different schedules and needs. Prospective clients complete a brief matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions based on availability.

Client-centered care through online sessions

Client-Centered Therapy asks the therapist to follow the client’s lead. The therapist listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps people set their own goals. This approach can be helpful for parenting struggles, self-esteem issues, grief, and anxiety because it focuses on what matters most to the individual.

Michelle pairs that client-centered focus with practical goal-setting. Together the client and therapist decide what to work on next and how to measure progress. This collaborative process helps clarify steps for managing family conflict, coping with loss, or improving daily routines.

Online formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy family lives. Video calls let the therapist and client meet face to face from different locations. Phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging offer shorter or more flexible check-ins when schedules are tight. These options support continuity of care and let people choose the way of communicating that feels most comfortable.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Michelle address?
She works with trauma and abuse, parenting challenges, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, grief, anger, ADHD, and related family issues.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her practice is client-centered, meaning the client helps shape sessions and goals while the therapist provides guidance and support.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Michelle has 21 years of experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working in independent practice in Texas.
What are her credentials and where is she licensed?
She holds the LMFT credential and is licensed in Texas with license number TX LMFT 5125.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats does she use?
She works through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to match different needs.
How does payment and getting started work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time; to begin, select Start Therapy, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session.

Next step

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