- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Mindfulness practices
About Michelle
Michelle Pennella is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in New York with four years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, bipolar symptoms, and other mood or personality-related struggles. Michelle also notes additional focus areas including guilt and shame, loneliness, life purpose, and midlife concerns.
She keeps sessions straightforward and practical. Michelle uses evidence-based methods to help people notice unhelpful patterns and learn new skills. Conversations often focus on identifying what matters to the person and on small changes that reduce distress day to day.
Her approach blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Client-Centered methods, and mindfulness practices. That mix is used to address intrusive thoughts, rumination, emotional reactivity, and behavior patterns that keep problems going. Michelle emphasizes skills people can use between sessions.
She commonly helps adults through life transitions, career stress, parenting strain, burnout, and the emotional fallout of relationship problems. People also come for support with compulsive thoughts and obsessions, feelings of emptiness, or difficulties tied to aging and caregiving.
In sessions she aims for clear goals and collaborative planning. Michelle invites clients to try different strategies and notices together what helps. Practical coping techniques, values clarification, and activity-based experiments are regular parts of the work.
How therapeutic approaches are used in online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and taking small, meaningful actions even when difficult feelings are present. It can help with guilt, shame, and patterns of avoidance. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and behavior and teaches practical skills to reduce rumination and shift unhelpful thinking. Mindfulness therapy encourages gentle attention to present-moment experience and can reduce reactivity to intrusive thoughts.Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Michelle will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals, symptoms, and daily life. Sessions can include short skills practice, behavioral experiments to try between meetings, and check-ins to see what is helping.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions around work, caregiving, or travel. It also allows for brief check-ins when a full session is not needed and removes commuting time, which can help keep therapy consistent with a busy schedule.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with adults on anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, bipolar symptoms, and related mood or personality issues. Additional focuses include guilt and shame, isolation, life purpose, and midlife challenges.
How would she approach guilt or shame?
Her work uses evidence-based methods to reduce rumination and self-criticism while helping people notice values and take small committed actions. Techniques from ACT and mindfulness are often used to change one’s relationship with painful feelings.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She has four years of experience as an LMHC in New York, working with adults across life stages on mood, anxiety, trauma, and related concerns.
Where is she based and what credential does she hold?
She is based in New York and practices as a New York Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC).
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies by location and services. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to start?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.