Michelle Fennessy, LCSW

Michelle Fennessy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Florida with 20 years of clinical experience. She earned a Master’s degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Psychology from Mount Holyoke College. Michelle invites people who are worried or uncertain to give themselves credit for seeking help and acknowledges how hard that first step can feel.

She focuses on stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, and relationship concerns. Michelle also supports people dealing with addictions, grief, parenting strain, intimacy issues, and major life changes. Her background includes work with expatriates and others whose lives have been disrupted by relocation.

Michelle uses grounded, goal-oriented methods that emphasize strengths. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness-based ideas to help people notice thoughts and choose helpful actions. She also uses Solution-Focused work and elements of Internal Family Systems to map how different parts of a person move toward or away from change.

In sessions she aims to create an environment where people feel seen and understood. Practical tools, short-term goals, and attention to daily habits are commonly part of her work. She often helps people break cycles of self-destructive behavior like binge-eating or over-drinking and manage impulses such as compulsive checking of an ex-partner’s social media.

Michelle believes change can begin with small shifts in thought and feeling. She encourages clients to identify clearer goals and to practice steps that produce better-feeling thoughts and healthier patterns over time.

How Michelle uses ACT, CBT, and mindfulness online

Michelle commonly draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and practice different thinking and behavior patterns. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, and impulse-related problems because it breaks concerns into manageable steps.

She also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which focuses on clarifying values and taking actions that match what matters most. ACT can help when someone feels stuck by supporting values-driven choices even when feelings are uncomfortable. Mindfulness Therapy is another element Michelle brings into sessions to help people notice their moment-to-moment experience and reduce reactivity.

Finding the right approach is collaborative. Michelle will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. Many people use a mix of approaches rather than a single method, and adjustments happen as therapy progresses.

If you are considering online work, confirm current session formats before booking since specific options are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove commute time so people can focus on practice between sessions. Licensed professionals can tailor interventions to the online setting to address trauma, anxiety, relationship concerns, and habit change.