- Hands-on coping skills
- Focus on goals
- Mindful and direct
About Michelle
Michelle DeFino is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in New York. She offers direct, practical help for people coping with depression, anxiety, stress, grief, addiction concerns, and money and financial issues. Michelle speaks plainly and works to make therapy feel manageable for someone juggling life’s pressures.
She draws on client-centered methods to make sessions focused on each person’s needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are part of her approach when they match a person's goals. Motivational interviewing and mindfulness exercises are used to build motivation and attention to the present moment.
Michelle has three years of professional experience as an LCSW working with people facing substance-related challenges, mood disorders, and complex life changes. Her work includes helping people with impulse problems, codependency, communication struggles, and caregiver stress. She also supports people dealing with trauma and anger issues.
In sessions she emphasizes clear goals and simple skills you can use between meetings. Expect concrete tools for coping, communication, and managing strong emotions. Michelle aims to tailor each plan to what fits a person’s day-to-day life.
Therapy can include short-term problem solving or longer work on patterns that keep causing pain. If you think this style might help, use the site controls to start the matching process and schedule a session.
How Michelle’s methods translate to online therapy
Michelle often uses client-centered work and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to structure sessions. Client-centered work means the conversation follows what matters most to the person and the therapist helps set goals that feel useful. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small behavior changes to reduce symptoms like anxiety or low mood.She also incorporates Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance when those tools fit a person’s needs. DBT-based strategies teach concrete techniques for managing intense feelings, handling conflict, and staying steady during stressful moments.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Michelle will talk with you about what you want to change, try methods that match those goals, and adjust the plan as you learn what works. The first few sessions are often about setting clear goals and experimenting with skills.
Confirm the available session formats before booking, since this profile does not list specific options. Online therapy can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Licensed professionals can guide regular sessions, skill practice, and progress reviews in ways that fit daily life.
Areas of focus
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Michelle commonly help with?
She helps people with depression, anxiety, addictions, grief, anger, stress, trauma and related issues such as impulse control and codependency.
What is her general therapeutic style?
Michelle uses a client-centered style that focuses on your goals and needs, combining practical skills with supportive listening.
What experience does she bring?
She holds a Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential and has three years of experience working with substance-related concerns and mood disorders.
Where is Michelle licensed and based?
Michelle practices in New York and holds LCSW licenses in New Jersey and New York.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only and international clients are not accepted at this time.
What session formats are available?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the profile does not list specific formats.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work together?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.