- Client-centered focus
- Practical coping skills
- Family and parenting
About Michelle
Michelle Bonner is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California with 17 years of professional experience. She helps people who are stressed, anxious, or facing family and parenting challenges. She also supports people working on self-esteem and coping with life changes, including adoption or blended family concerns.
Her approach is warm and straightforward. She listens first and tailors conversations to each person. Michelle aims to make sessions feel respectful and sensitive to each person’s background and needs.
Michelle uses methods that fit the problem at hand. She draws on Client-Centered Therapy to follow the client’s pace and priorities. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy to help people notice thoughts and reactions and try small practical changes.
When trauma or difficult past events show up, she brings in trauma-focused ideas to keep work safe and paced. For shorter-term goals, solution-focused techniques are used to set clear next steps and track progress. Her work includes attention to multicultural concerns and prejudice when these affect family life and well-being.
Michelle emphasizes practical steps and steady progress. She works with parents on communication and caregiver stress, and with people coping with mood disorders or past sexual assault and abuse. The conversation in sessions stays centered on what the client wants to change and how to get there together.
How Michelle’s Approaches Work Online
Client-centered work means the therapist follows the client’s lead and adjusts to what feels most helpful. This approach focuses on building trust, listening closely, and shaping sessions around the client’s goals and pace.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect. In online sessions this can mean learning to notice unhelpful thoughts and trying small, practical changes between meetings to test what helps.
Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention skills to reduce reactivity and improve calm. Online sessions can introduce brief practices to use during a busy day and help people notice how they respond to stress.
Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, try methods that seem promising, and adjust as needed. Clients and the therapist decide together what feels most useful and realistic.
The biography does not specify which session formats are offered, so confirm available options before booking. Online therapy can make fitting care into a weekday or work break easier, allow shorter check-ins when life is busy, and reduce travel time. Ask about the current session options when you complete the matching questionnaire.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
17+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Michelle focus on?
She supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, family and parenting concerns, self-esteem, and life changes. Additional areas include trauma, mood disorders, adoption and foster care issues, and communication problems.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is respectful and client-centered, with a focus on listening first and tailoring sessions to each person. She blends practical tools with reflective conversation.
What experience does she bring?
She has 17 years of professional experience working with stress, family conflict, parenting, trauma, and related concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds a California LMFT credential and practices in California.
Can I work with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats does she offer?
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees and payment handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist’s availability.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the crisis numbers.