Michelle Perkins, LCSW, LISW

Michelle Perkins is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) practicing in Florida. She aims to help people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, addiction, grief, and trauma and abuse. Michelle focuses on creating a comfortable, respectful space where people can work toward clear, realistic goals.

She draws on 12 years of clinical experience with individuals and couples. Michelle uses straightforward conversation, education, and encouragement to help people build skills and make changes that matter in daily life. She emphasizes empathy and empowerment while tailoring therapy to each person’s needs.

Her approach blends client-centered work with evidence-informed methods like cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy. She also uses emotionally-focused strategies and mindfulness techniques to address feelings, thought patterns, and relational dynamics. Michelle adapts these methods to meet practical goals such as improving sleep, managing mood, and reducing anxiety.

She has experience addressing a wide range of concerns including self-esteem, parenting strain, intimacy-related issues, eating and sleeping difficulties, anger, career stress, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and co-occurring challenges. Additional areas of focus include attachment and abandonment issues, caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, and family-of-origin problems.

Michelle prefers to work collaboratively, helping people choose tools that fit their situation. She encourages questions and focuses on small, manageable steps so progress feels realistic. Prospective clients are invited to start by completing the site intake and matching process to see if her style is a good fit.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding the person where they are. The therapist listens closely and helps clients set their own goals, offering support and validation as they try new ways of coping.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. It teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful thinking patterns and build coping strategies for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.

Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, provides tools for managing intense emotions and improving relationships. It includes skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and clearer communication, which can help with impulse control and patterns like self-harm or addiction.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Michelle will work together with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative process helps shape the pace and focus of therapy.

For practical matters, confirm the therapist's current session options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography. Many people find online therapy useful because it can fit into busy schedules, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also make it easier to maintain consistent sessions during life transitions and to practice skills between meetings.