Michele Fitzgerald, LPCC

Michele Fitzgerald is an LPCC with 25 years of experience who began her career working with adolescents in substance abuse treatment in the 1980s. She has practiced in varied settings, including Kodiak, Alaska, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and brings long-term experience in substance use and mental health counseling. Michele also has a background in adoption support, birth parent counseling, hospital social work, and long-term care settings.

She approaches therapy as a practical, down-to-earth conversation. Michele listens closely and helps people name problems and try new ways of coping. She believes recovery and wellness go hand in hand and sees setbacks as chances to learn new skills.

Michele uses methods that focus on the person in front of her. She often works with strategies from client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing to address stress, anxiety, addictions, grief, depression, and related concerns. Sessions look at thoughts, behaviors, and choices to build manageable steps forward.

Her experience includes work with attachment and family of origin issues, adoption and foster care concerns, chronic illness and pain, and parenting stress. She also helps people facing transitions such as divorce, career change, or coping with life changes tied to aging or health challenges.

People who benefit most tend to want a listener who is practical and respectful. Michele aims to help clients build everyday strategies for sleep, eating, relationships, anger, and coping with life’s pressures.

How Michele’s Approaches Translate to Online Work

Michele uses client-centered methods that focus on the person and their goals. This approach means sessions often begin by listening and letting the client set the pace, then shaping the work around what matters most to them.

She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and helps people try practical changes for anxiety, depression, sleep, and eating concerns. Motivational interviewing is another tool she uses to help people find their own reasons for change, useful with addictions and behaviors that feel stuck.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Michele will help figure out which methods fit a person’s needs, goals, and preferences and will adjust the plan as progress is reviewed. That collaborative decision making helps tailor sessions to what actually helps.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Talk with Michele about the practical format that fits your schedule and daily life.