- Years in practice
- 28
- Credentials
- LICSW
- Licensed in
- Minnesota
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Self esteem
- Focus
- Career difficulties
About Michelle
Michelle Wincell OLeary is a Minnesota licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, parenting strain, grief, and career concerns. She draws on 28 years of experience to support practical change and stronger coping skills. Michelle blends coaching and therapy to help clients move forward in everyday life.
Her approach is friendly and down-to-earth. She listens without judgment and encourages people to name what matters to them.
Background and approach
Sessions often include simple self-care practices, breathing or meditation, and concrete steps clients can try between meetings. Michelle uses client-centered methods that follow each person's pace and priorities. She also brings solution-focused tools to set clear goals and motivational interviewing to strengthen commitment to change.
These methods are used alongside psychodynamic ideas when helpful to understand patterns from the past. She pays attention to compassion fatigue and wellbeing, and offers support for workplace stress and life transitions. Michelle respects cultural, religious, and spiritual values and aims to create a space where those things are acknowledged and worked with.
Her work often mixes coaching with therapeutic support for practical problem solving. Living and practicing in Minnesota gives her a local perspective on community stress and recovery. People who choose her report wanting a collaborative guide who will help them build resilience, regain focus, and explore what a healthier balance looks like in daily life.
What Michelle works with
Everything Michelle lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Michelle helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Coaching
- Abandonment
- Communication problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Phobias
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Workplace issues
Approaches Michelle lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Systemic Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How therapeutic approaches translate online
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on following the client's lead and valuing their experience. Online sessions using this approach prioritize listening, reflection, and letting you set the agenda for what matters most. Mindfulness Therapy brings attention to present-moment experience through simple breathing, awareness, and grounding practices. Delivered over video or phone, these techniques help reduce immediate stress and sharpen focus. Motivational Interviewing helps people find their own reasons to change and strengthen commitment to goals; it works well for career moves, self-care, or shifting habits and can be done in short conversations over chat or messaging.Choosing the right approach is a shared process. The therapist will talk with you about goals, try methods that fit your needs, and adjust based on what helps. That collaborative process makes it easier to test techniques and decide which mix of approaches feels most useful for your situation.
Online therapy with video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging adds practical flexibility. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and use of exercises like guided mindfulness. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when you prefer not to be on camera. Live chat or messaging supports brief check-ins, coaching-style exchanges, and ongoing encouragement between sessions. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into workdays, parenting schedules, and busy lives.
Questions people ask about Michelle
What concerns does she support?
She works with stress, anxiety, self-esteem problems, career issues, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, relationship and grief concerns, parenting challenges, anger, bipolar and depression, plus coaching needs.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is warm and client-centered, with practical steps. She listens without judgment and helps people set achievable goals.
What is her professional background?
She brings 28 years of professional experience and combines therapeutic work with coaching to support personal and professional growth.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker - practicing in Minnesota.
Which languages are used in sessions and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on therapist availability.
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