Healing begins with being deeply understood.
We live in a world that moves fast and values automation over connection. But real healing still needs something a machine can’t offer: presence, attunement, and trust. You need someone to be fully there with you, to listen beyond the words and notice what other people might miss while also bringing some personality to the space.
I’m Michele: faith-integrated therapist, attuned listener, and creative thinker.
My experience and commitment to excellent care have led others to describe me as “the therapist’s therapist.”
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with executives, entrepreneurs, ministry leaders, parents, helping professionals, and individuals healing from trauma.
My clinical experience includes work in hospital, university, nonprofit, and private practice settings, including Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins University, Catholic Charities, and Gettysburg College.
People tend to describe me as warm, direct, and steady. I listen closely, notice patterns, and ask questions that help you see your situation a little differently than you have before.
There’s room here for tears and room to laugh…you don’t need a perfectly organized story or the right words.
You just need a place to start.
I’ve built my therapy practice around privacy, safety and individualized care rather than volume.
You are not a diagnosis or a data point. You are worthy of real attention and respect.
Why I work the way I do as a therapist
I’ve worked across the full lifespan: from children removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect, to domestic violence survivors, to the adults carrying those early wounds decades later. That background gives me the ability to spot a childhood wound sitting underneath a “today” problem.
After many years of practice I found myself wrestling with my career. Clients told me I was helping, but I wasn’t convinced I was helping them heal. EMDR therapy and brainspotting changed that. I began witnessing genuine relief from wounds people had carried for years.
Through years of experience and countless hours of training, I developed The arKardia Method. It’s an approach that honors the whole person: mind, body, relationships, faith, history, and the innate capacity for healing that exists within each of us.
My education: Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Towson University
Master of Social Work (Clinical Concentration), Barry University
My training: EMDRIA Certified EMDR Therapist, Brainspotting Practitioner, Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP), Clinical Supervisor & Consultant, and advanced training in trauma, attachment, mediation, and relationship work
My therapy approach
I work with what’s underneath the symptoms and the patterns that won’t shift no matter how hard you’ve tried. Together we look at how your history, your relationships, your nervous system, your faith, and your current life, all intersect. Because understanding the roots often matters more than simply managing symptoms.
I believe the best approach is integrative and client-centered. You are not a formula or something to be fixed. The arKardia Method™ meets the uniqueness of the whole person rather than a single therapeutic technique applied to everyone.
That’s why clients feel more confident, respond rather than react, and notice that a memory that once flooded them barely registers anymore. One day you realize you’re no longer just surviving. You’re living differently.
Statement of Faith & Ethics
My faith in Christ shapes my character and guides how I show up—with compassion, integrity, and appreciation for every person.
I believe that faith integration should be client-led. This means I honor your autonomy, empowering you to make the best decisions for your healing and your life. Whether faith is central to your life, something you’re still sorting through, or not part of your story at all, you’ll be met with respect, compassion, and thoughtful care.
I hold my work to the highest clinical and ethical standards of my profession, and I remain committed to the ongoing growth that allows every client to trust both the process and the person guiding it.
Behind the therapy credentials
01
A childhood friend once told me I’d grow up to be an advice columnist. People trusted me with their stories long before I understood why.
02
As a kid, I spent more time with a ball in my hand than a book. Now I enjoy both. Movement and reflection keep me balanced.
03
I’m a creative introvert with a quiet laugh and a weakness for a good pun.
04
I’m the oldest of two and a recovering perfectionist. Grace has done more for me than striving ever did.
05
I won’t pretend my own life has been untouched by hard seasons, it hasn’t. Those seasons taught me something I try to bring into every session: Hope, because we are all stronger than we realize.
The meaning behind arKardia
Have you heard the saying that the longest journey is the eighteen inches from your head to your heart? I hear it and see it often: people who know they’re worthy but don’t feel it, who know they’re safe but can’t feel it, who know they’re loved and still feel alone. My desire is to help you live with the freedom and joy that come from closing that gap.
*ar is a word forming element expressing a direction to or toward.
Kardia means heart, though not in the anatomical sense: it’s the center of who you are, the place where your desires, your passions, your purpose, your emotions, your character, and your spiritual life all meet.
arKardia means movement toward the heart, closing the eighteen-inch gap so you can live from your whole being.
When that connection is restored, you get to live with more freedom, more integrity, and more of yourself.
Meet Neo
Early in my career, to help build rapport with an adolescent client, I brought my dog to work. It was remarkable to witness the comfort and sense of safety an animal could bring to someone who was hurting.
Today, clients occasionally meet Neo, my Rhodesian Ridgeback. He’s a gentle giant, who has faced some challenges of his own yet earned his Canine Good Citizen Certification and continues his training.
Neo loves walks, naps on the couch, and spending time with his “sister,” Xena.
More importantly, he serves as a gentle reminder of something I’ve seen throughout my career: helping often includes creativity and warmth.
Professional Endorsements
The reflections here are shared by professionals who have worked alongside Michele, referred clients to her care, experienced her clinical work through professional training, or collaborated with her in other professional settings.
Finding the right therapist is an important decision.
If something here resonates, I’d love to hear your story. Reach out, and let’s see if this is the right place for you to begin.