Michele Lewis

Healing with practical skills and compassionate support

LISW, LCSW Missouri

Experience: 26 years in practice
Focus areas: Trauma and abuse, Grief, Self esteem
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages: English

About Michele

Michele Lewis is a licensed social worker with 26 years of clinical experience who focuses on helping people navigate grief, trauma, anxiety, and major life transitions.

Background and approach

She centers care on building authentic self-expression and practical coping skills, guiding clients through difficult emotional experiences such as loss, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and changes that come with aging. Michele’s style is warm, accepting, and collaborative, and she helps clients explore what may be limiting their relationships, work life, or sense of self.

Her practice blends skills-based strategies with compassionate support, drawing on methods like cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and emotion-focused work to address mood concerns, stress, and patterns rooted in family of origin.

Michele also brings experience helping those facing loneliness, codependency, commitment challenges, and caregiver burdens, and she supports people working through issues related to domestic violence, intellectual disability, and end-of-life transitions. Licensed in Missouri and Iowa, she offers flexible scheduling that includes evenings and weekends to make therapeutic work accessible to varied routines.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through practical exercises and skill-building; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress by teaching concrete strategies to manage mood and reactions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes values-based action and mindful acceptance of difficult thoughts and feelings, helping people move toward meaningful goals even in the presence of discomfort. Client-Centered Therapy offers a supportive, nonjudgmental space where the therapist follows the client's lead to encourage self-discovery and emotional processing.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Michele works with clients to assess needs, goals, and personal preferences and blends techniques from these approaches to create a tailored plan. That collaborative testing of methods helps identify which strategies feel most useful and sustainable for each person.

Online therapy expands access and flexibility by offering video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These formats allow scheduling outside typical hours, support ongoing skill practice between sessions, and make it easier to maintain continuity of care despite busy lives or mobility limitations. The combination of structured techniques like CBT and values-based or client-centered work can be delivered effectively across these remote formats to support progress and daily functioning.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Michele commonly address?

Michele works with people facing trauma and abuse, grief, depression, anxiety, self-esteem difficulties, and stress from life changes. She also focuses on caregiver stress, chronic illness or pain, aging concerns, and loneliness.

What is Michele's therapeutic approach and style?

Her approach is synergistic, warm, and accepting, combining skill-building with compassionate exploration. She uses methods like cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, and emotionally-focused strategies to help clients develop practical tools and deeper emotional understanding.

How much clinical experience does she bring?

She has 26 years of experience as a therapist, with substantial work in grief counseling and geriatrics alongside broad clinical practice across mood and stress-related concerns.

What credentials and location apply to her practice?

She holds LISW and LCSW credentials with IA LISW 118059 and MO LCSW 2001009328, and practices in Missouri.

Can sessions be conducted in other languages or with international clients?

Services are provided in English only, and she is not accepting international clients at this time.

Which session formats are available with Michele?

She offers multiple online formats including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.

How are costs and scheduling handled?

Cost varies by location and therapist availability, and sessions are delivered through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are involved in getting started?

Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Trauma and abuse Grief Self esteem Depression Coping with life changes

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyLGBTCareer difficultiesCoachingCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSexual assault and abuseWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

26+ years

Licensed

Missouri, Iowa

Languages

English