Michelle Durham

Michelle Durham is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) based in Washington, DC. She brings 19 years of experience working with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, anger, relationship problems, grief, and career challenges. Michelle emphasizes a warm, straightforward approach that helps people take practical steps toward feeling better.

She draws on a client-centered, strength-based outlook. Sessions focus on the person in front of her and the cultural context that shapes their life. Michelle often uses evidence-informed techniques to help people manage symptoms, set goals, and build coping skills.

Many of Michelle's past roles were in nonprofit, community-based settings. That work involved counseling people dealing with severe and persistent mental health challenges, substance use, homelessness, unemployment, and the effects of trauma. She also has experience supporting people who have fled domestic violence, people leaving incarceration, and those exiting foster care.

Her practical toolbox includes cognitive behavioral strategies, mindfulness practices, narrative work, solution-focused techniques, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). She also promotes self-care and helps people design realistic self-care plans that fit their lives.

Michelle describes her style as warm and approachable. She emphasizes collaboration and meeting people where they are. To begin, she invites prospective clients to reflect on what they most want to change and to take the next step when they feel ready.

How Michelle’s Approaches Work Online

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice hard thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It focuses on identifying values and taking small, meaningful steps toward those values. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches practical tools to shift unhelpful habits and manage symptoms like anxiety or low mood. Mindfulness-based work teaches simple exercises to increase present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity to stress and anger.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Michelle will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan as progress is made.

The biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a weekly routine, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It can also let people practice mindfulness or CBT techniques in real-life settings and then discuss how those exercises went during the next session.