Michelle Wendel

Compassionate guidance for life transitions

LMFT California

Experience: 10 years in practice
Focus areas: Stress, Anxiety, Parenting, Self esteem
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages: English

About Michelle

Michelle Wendel is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with a decade of clinical experience helping adults manage stress, anxiety, self-esteem concerns, career transitions, parenting challenges, and life changes.

Background and approach

She focuses on supporting women through phases such as divorce, empty nesting, menopause, retirement, and chronic health issues, offering a steady therapeutic presence as clients explore goals and next steps. Her style emphasizes collaboration and personalization; she adapts methods to each client rather than using a single formula.

Michelle draws on approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and client-centered techniques to help clients identify unhelpful patterns, clarify values, and develop practical coping strategies. Her work also addresses communication difficulties, codependency, forgiveness, guilt and shame, life purpose, pregnancy and childbirth concerns, and workplace issues.

Michelle invites people to pursue therapy as an act of self-care and empowerment, working to create a comfortable environment where clients can discuss thoughts and emotions openly. She guides clients toward achievable change by building a strong therapeutic relationship and tailoring interventions to individual needs.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and stress and to improve problem-solving in daily life. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values, accept difficult emotions, and take committed action toward meaningful goals, which can be useful for life transitions and persistent worries. Client-centered therapy emphasizes empathetic listening and collaborative exploration, giving clients space to express themselves while the therapist supports growth at the client's pace.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Michelle will work with each person to assess needs, goals, and preferences, then adapt techniques over time so the treatment fits the individual. That partnership helps determine whether CBT, ACT, client-centered methods, or a blend will be most helpful.

Online sessions make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These formats offer flexibility in scheduling, allow continued work through transitions or relocations, and enable therapists and clients to maintain progress without geographic constraints.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Michelle address?

She works with stress, anxiety, parenting and self-esteem issues as well as career challenges and coping with life changes. Additional focus areas include aging and geriatric issues, codependency, communication problems, divorce and separation, forgiveness, guilt and shame, life purpose, midlife crisis, pregnancy and childbirth, self-love, women's issues, and workplace issues.

What is Michelle's therapeutic approach and style?

Her style is collaborative and adaptive, combining client-centered listening with evidence-informed techniques such as CBT and ACT. She tailors interventions to match each client's needs and preferences.

How long has she been practicing clinically?

Michelle has ten years of professional experience working with adults across a range of life and relational concerns.

What credentials and location does she hold?

She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, CA LMFT 111149, practicing from California.

Can clients who live outside the US work with her?

Yes, she accepts international clients and provides services to people outside the United States in English.

In what formats are sessions offered?

Sessions are available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.

How are fees and payment handled?

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

What are the first steps to begin working together?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyParenting issuesSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changes

Additional focus areas

Aging and geriatric issuesCodependencyCommunication problemsDivorce and separationForgivenessGuilt and shameLife purposeMidlife crisisPregnancy and childbirthSelf-loveWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Experience

10+ years

Licensed

California

Languages

English