- Practical coping skills
- Collaborative goal setting
- Trauma informed care
About Michele
Michele Bonanno is a licensed mental health counselor with 32 years of experience who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, and everyday challenges related to relationships and self-esteem. She supports clients facing grief, parenting strain, addictive behaviors, attention concerns, chronic illness, career shifts, and the emotional wear of caregiving. Michele aims to make sessions practical and approachable so people can use what they learn right away.
Her style is grounded in listening and collaboration. She uses clear, straightforward talk and practical exercises to help people notice patterns, try new behaviors, and build habits that fit daily life. Michele draws on several therapy methods to match the work to each person’s needs rather than one fixed approach.
Over her career she has worked with a wide range of life issues, including adoption and foster care concerns, aging and geriatric issues, body image, and adjustment to chronic pain or illness. She also addresses attachment and commitment questions, grief after loss, and the emotional impact of caregiving.
Michele integrates evidence-informed tools such as cognitive strategies to shift unhelpful thinking, acceptance-based practices to handle difficult feelings, and skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance. She helps people translate those tools into small steps they can use between sessions.
Clients can expect a calm, steady presence and a focus on practical progress. Michele encourages people to name realistic goals, try concrete changes, and track what helps. Her approach is patient and adaptive to each person’s pace and life demands.
Her style is grounded in listening and collaboration. She uses clear, straightforward talk and practical exercises to help people notice patterns, try new behaviors, and build habits that fit daily life. Michele draws on several therapy methods to match the work to each person’s needs rather than one fixed approach.
Over her career she has worked with a wide range of life issues, including adoption and foster care concerns, aging and geriatric issues, body image, and adjustment to chronic pain or illness. She also addresses attachment and commitment questions, grief after loss, and the emotional impact of caregiving.
Michele integrates evidence-informed tools such as cognitive strategies to shift unhelpful thinking, acceptance-based practices to handle difficult feelings, and skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance. She helps people translate those tools into small steps they can use between sessions.
Clients can expect a calm, steady presence and a focus on practical progress. Michele encourages people to name realistic goals, try concrete changes, and track what helps. Her approach is patient and adaptive to each person’s pace and life demands.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigue
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTrichotillomaniaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyGottman MethodJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family SystemsSystemic Therapy
Experience
32+ years
Credentials
Florida
Languages
English
How Michele’s approaches work in online therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It focuses on values and small, committed actions that move someone toward a meaningful life despite hard emotions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how thoughts, behaviors, and feelings interact and teaches practical steps to change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns.Choosing the right approach is usually a team effort. Michele will talk with each person about their goals and preferences and then suggest methods to try. She adapts techniques over time based on what works and what doesn’t, keeping the process collaborative and goal-focused.
The therapist's biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm current options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. It can also let people practice skills in their real-life settings and use written exercises between meetings. Michele aims to shape sessions around each person’s schedule and needs while helping them put therapy tools into everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Michele help with?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting concerns, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and person-centered. Sessions focus on practical steps, clear talk, and learning skills that can be used between meetings.
What experience does she bring to therapy?
She has 32 years of clinical experience working with a broad range of emotional and life issues, including chronic illness, caregiving stress, and adoption or foster care concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Florida licensed mental health counselor - LMHC - and practices from Florida.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are accepted.
What session formats are available?
The original profile does not specify session formats, so confirm current options before booking to know which formats are offered.
How are fees handled for therapy?
Fees vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to get started?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.