Dr. Michaela Hammer, LCSW

Dr. Michaela Hammer is a licensed clinical social worker with 35 years of practice guiding people through life transitions and trauma-related challenges. She focuses on practical support during times of change, helping people untangle expectations from reality and find ways to move forward with dignity. Her approach aims to meet clients where they are and build a clearer path to everyday functioning.

She emphasizes separating common myths about aging, memory, mood, and neurodiversity from facts. That focus leads to straightforward conversations about memory loss and cognitive functioning. Dr. Hammer offers assessments when changes in thinking or memory are a concern, and she helps people understand what the results mean for daily life.

Loss and grief are central to her work, including support for people grieving the death of a pet. She has accepted referrals from veterinarians and medical providers for pet grief and provides space to voice losses that are sometimes overlooked by others.

Her background includes counseling in clinics, schools, retirement communities, nursing homes, hospitals, and homes. This variety informs a flexible, people-focused style that adapts to different life stages and circumstances. She works with adults across a wide age span and with diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Dr. Hammer combines client-centered listening with therapeutic tools drawn from cognitive behavioral, motivational interviewing, solution-focused, and trauma-focused approaches. She aims to give research, resources, and collaborative guidance rather than offering quick labels. The goal is steady, practical progress toward clearer goals and better day-to-day coping.

Approaches that guide online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding the person’s experience first. The therapist uses that understanding to shape goals and support, which helps when people feel stuck or overwhelmed.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. It uses plain strategies to change unhelpful thinking and build new habits, which can help with anxiety, depression, and stress.

Trauma-Focused Therapy centers on working through traumatic memories and the ways they affect daily life. It uses gradual steps to reduce distress and teach coping skills for intrusive memories, flashbacks, or persistent anxiety.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and adjust methods as those goals become clearer. That collaborative process helps choose tools that fit the client’s life and priorities.

If considering online sessions, confirm the specific session options before booking since formats are not listed in the profile. In general, online care can make scheduling easier, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people keep therapy in step with busy days or health constraints without changing the focus of the work.