Michelle Goodwater, LMHC

Michelle Goodwater is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) practicing in Washington. She brings seven years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship or intimacy-related issues. Her manner is warm and interactive, and she aims to treat people with respect, sensitivity, and compassion.

Michelle uses a mix of approaches to fit each person’s needs. She commonly draws on cognitive behavioral methods to identify thought and behavior patterns, and on client-centered techniques to keep sessions focused on the person's goals. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas and mindfulness practices also appear in her work to help people live with difficult feelings without getting stuck.

She has experience supporting people after trauma and abuse and with complex concerns such as sleep problems, anger, career stress, bipolar mood concerns, and coping with life changes. Michelle also helps with family of origin issues, codependency, communication problems, and fertility or cancer-related stress when those topics come up.

In sessions she avoids stigmatizing labels and tailors conversation and planning to the individual. Expect a collaborative tone where goals are set together and practical skills are taught alongside emotional processing. Michelle encourages people who are ready to make changes and offers support through those steps.

To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule according to therapist availability.

Approaches that translate well to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on helping people notice difficult thoughts and feelings and then commit to actions that match their values. It can help with anxiety, depression, and stress by shifting attention toward meaningful activity rather than getting stuck on unwanted thoughts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful cycles; it is commonly used for anxiety, mood problems, sleep issues, and anger. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured approach for processing traumatic memories and reducing their emotional intensity; it is often used for trauma and abuse reactions.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit best based on their goals and preferences. That planning can include trying different strategies and adjusting the plan over time so it feels useful and workable.

Session formats are not listed in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, avoid travel time, and keep regular contact when life feels chaotic. It also allows for shorter check-ins when needed, flexible scheduling around work or caregiving, and using therapy tools from home when that helps with homework and practice.