Hello, I’m Michaela!

I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LH61562383) in the state of Washington who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children, teens, and young adults. I earned my Master of Arts in Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology: Treatment and Prevention from the University of Washington, with an emphasis on implementing evidence-based interventions. I completed my practicum placement at Seattle Children’s Hospital in the OCD Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP). While working as a clinician at the OCD IOP, I received extensive training in various evidence-based treatments including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD through individual, group, and parenting sessions. Additionally, I have worked on research teams with Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Central Florida on developing treatments for OCD and Selective Mutism. In addition to working with children directly, I also conduct parent coaching sessions for families needing support with their child’s anxiety and school avoidance.

My Therapeutic Approach

I enjoy working with people ranging in age from elementary school through young adulthood and specialize in treating individuals who struggle with anxiety disorders and OCD. I believe it is incredibly important to involve parents in the therapeutic process—both to learn from their insights into their child’s behaviors and to teach helpful tools to ensure their child maintains their progress inside and outside of our sessions. At the center of my work as a clinician is an emphasis on the human-to-human connection, which is maintained through authenticity, empathy, and humor.

It is within my values as a clinician to strive to provide culturally competent care. I encourage clients to share as much or as little about their racial, cultural, sexual, or gender identities. I utilize an anti-racist and intersectional feminist lens to validate the experiences my clients face within the world, as well as to help guide them towards value-based coping strategies.

I believe in the importance of continuing education throughout one’s career.

I am currently enrolled as a post-Masters training associate with the Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle (EBTCS). This training allows me to keep up to date on the most recent research in mental health. I am additionally a founding member of the Bellevue Center for CBT & DBT. These mental health teams allow me to consult and share resources among other mental health clinicians.