Michelle MacPherson, Psychotherapist.
M.S.W., L.C.S.W
About Me
My ideal clients
Valued Directions is a psychotherapy private practice dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible video and tele-health therapy services to adults navigating transitional life stressors.
For more than twenty‐five years, I’ve helped adults move through mid‐life challenges—whether related to depression, anxiety, relationship stress and break-ups, substance misuse or the natural shifts that come with aging. My goal is to ensure you feel supported, understood, and empowered to create meaningful, lasting change. My clients generally feel "stuck" and are seeking help in improving their mood, their relationships and their feelings of being overwhelmed.
I help my clients develop a tool box of coping skills to take into their day to day lives based on a personalized assessment of need. I am best suited to working with adults over 30 years of age, who are looking for greater insight and understanding of their interpersonal dynamics. I am highly effective in helping adults manage self-sabotaging behaviors and developing more effective coping skills to maximize therapeutic gains.
My therapeutic style is solution‐focused, goal‐oriented, compassionate, and deeply client‐centered. Together, we focus on uncovering practical paths forward rather than staying stuck in the problem itself.
Background
Completing her education in Australia, Michelle began her career in London, England with the Youth Justice Board, before moving to California and working for the UCSD Department of Psychiatry, United States Department of Defense and Veteran's Affairs.
"One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is seeing clients set meaningful, value-driven goals and achieving them. That's why I partner with you to ensure you are empowered to reach your full potential. As you work through life's transitions, I will be there to guide, encourage, and challenge you to push past obstacles and create the life you want!"
Expertise
Through ongoing professional development, Michelle stays updated with the advancements in therapeutic techniques and evidence-based practices. Her expertise includes trauma-informed care, mindfulness-based therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy and cognitive-behavioral interventions.
Restoring clients to a state of physical, mental and emotional health is the most rewarding aspect of her practice and she relies heavily on the latest advances in behavioral science to ensure clients continue to receive the best therapeutic services available.
Michelle is trained in a variety of therapeutic modalities and will work with you to select the most appropriate and therapeutically beneficial approach for your needs.
"In our work, we may focus on strengthening distress tolerance, improving emotional regulation, enhancing interpersonal effectiveness, and reconnecting with what matters most to you. You’ll leave sessions with insight, direction, and strategies you can use right away—not just talk".
Qualifications
2011 - 2026
Licensure
Michelle is board certified and licensed in California and North Carolina.
* Licensed Clinical Social Worker, California Board of Behavioral Sciences, 2011
#LCSW 27999
* Licensed Clinical Social Worker, NC Social Work Certification and Licensing Board, 2024
#C017672
Therapeutic Approaches & Techniques
I'm solution‑focused, goal‑oriented, compassionate, and client‑centered. I work collaboratively to identify practical steps forward so we don’t stay stuck in the problem itself. Together, we’ll clarify what’s getting in the way and build tools that help you feel more grounded, capable and aligned with your values.
Michelle when she's not in the office.......
Life is all about balance! I look forward to partnering with you and helping you move towards your "happy place".
When I'm not in my office, you can often find
me out exploring on 2 wheels.