Michele Fitzgerald

Compassionate, experienced counselor focused on wellness

LPCC Minnesota

Experience: 25 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages: English

About Michele

Michele Fitzgerald is an LPCC with 25 years of clinical experience who began her career in adolescent substance abuse treatment in the 1980s and has worked in settings ranging from Kodiak, Alaska to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Background and approach

Her background spans substance abuse and mental health counseling, adoption and birth parent support, hospital social work, and long-term care, giving her a broad perspective on recovery and wellness. Michele frames recovery as synonymous with wellness and emphasizes growth that comes from overcoming adversity.

She combines a listening-first stance with evidence-informed methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other therapeutic approaches to help people examine patterns, build skills, and respond differently to stress, trauma, addictive behaviors, and relationship challenges. Michele values treating mistakes as learning opportunities and aims to create sessions that invite reflection and practical change.

She offers weekday evening availability and works with clients across a wide range of concerns including anxiety, grief, depression, addictions, self-esteem, parenting, ADHD, and many related family and life transition issues.

How Michele's Approaches Translate to Online Care

Michele integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy in ways that adapt well to remote formats. CBT involves identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety, depression, and patterns linked to addiction or stress. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on empathic listening and supporting the client's own capacity to find solutions, which helps people feel heard while exploring goals and values.

Choosing the right method is part of the therapeutic process and happens collaboratively. Michele works with each person to determine which approaches best match their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts techniques as the work evolves so clients remain active partners in planning treatment.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different schedules and communication styles. These options make it possible to schedule weekday evening appointments, sustain continuity when life is busy, and use formats that support skill practice between sessions.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Michele address?

Michele works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, LGBT issues, relationship and family concerns, eating and sleeping problems, parenting challenges, anger, self-esteem, career matters, coping with life changes, ADHD, and many related topics.

What is Michele's therapeutic style?

Her approach emphasizes listening and collaboration, combining client-centered principles with evidence-informed techniques to help clients build skills and learn from setbacks.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She brings 25 years of experience, including early work in adolescent substance abuse treatment and roles in adoption counseling, hospital social work, and long-term care.

What are Michele's credentials and where is she based?

She holds the LPCC license with credential MN LPCC cc02294 and practices from Minnesota.

Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?

She communicates in English and is not currently accepting international clients.

Which session formats does she offer?

Sessions are available by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.

How are fees handled for sessions?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

What should I do to begin working together?

To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a time based on the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, Anxiety Addictions Trauma and abuse Grief Depression

Also works with

LGBTRelationship issuesFamily conflictsEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changes ADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separationDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMood disorders Post-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Motivational Interviewing

Experience

25+ years

Licensed

Minnesota

Languages

English