Therapy for adults who are carrying a lot, holding it together, and ready to find more balance.
When life feels overwhelming, it’s easy to lose sight of yourself while trying to keep up with everything and everyone around you. Anxiety, relationship challenges, major life changes, grief, or simply the demands of everyday life can leave you feeling emotionally drained, even when everything looks fine on the outside.
I’m Michelle, and I believe therapy offers an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most. Together, we’ll explore what’s feeling out of balance, build on your existing strengths, and develop practical tools that help you move forward with greater confidence and peace.
“Balance is not something you find. It’s something you create.”
— Jana Kingsford
Meet Michelle
Michelle Trudell, LMSW-C, CAADC is a Licensed Master Social Worker and Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor providing therapy to adults throughout Michigan through secure telehealth services at Journey Counseling Center.
Since beginning her career in 2001, Michelle has worked across community mental health, crisis services, outpatient counseling, substance use treatment, clinical supervision, and private practice. Those experiences have given her a deep appreciation for the many ways people face stress, loss, change, and emotional challenges throughout different stages of life.
Michelle believes people are not broken and don’t need someone else to solve their problems. Instead, she sees therapy as a collaborative process where clients feel supported, gain new perspectives, build on their strengths, and discover solutions that work for their own lives. Her goal is to help each person create greater balance, confidence, and lasting change.
Michelle provides therapy to adults throughout Michigan through secure telehealth services and offers in-person appointments in Bay City.
What It’s Like to Work With Me
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A supportive space to find your footing.
Michelle believes therapy should be a place where you feel heard, respected, and understood. She provides a warm, nonjudgmental environment where you can talk openly about life’s challenges while feeling supported every step of the way.
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Guidance, not someone telling you what to do.
Michelle doesn’t believe therapy is about fixing people or solving problems for them. Instead, she works alongside her clients, helping them better understand what’s feeling out of balance, recognize their strengths, and discover solutions that fit their lives.
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Creating lasting balance through change.
Whether you’re facing anxiety, relationship challenges, grief, or a major life transition, Michelle helps you build practical tools, strengthen communication, and develop confidence so you can continue moving forward long after therapy has ended.
Areas of Focus
Michelle works most often with adults experiencing:
Anxiety and panic
Depression
Stress and overwhelm
Perinatal mental health (pregnancy and postpartum)
Life transitions
Relationship concerns
Grief and loss
Substance use and co-occurring concerns
Self-esteem
Women’s issues
Parenting challenges
Anger management
Coping skills
Michelle Trudell, LMSW-C, CAADC, provides telehealth therapy to adults throughout Michigan and in-person counseling in Bay City.
Niche & Ideal Client
I work with adults who feel overwhelmed, stuck, or emotionally drained, often while managing anxiety, stress, life transitions, relationship challenges, or grief. Many of my clients are high-functioning on the outside but struggling internally.
I have experience supporting individuals with anxiety, depression, perinatal mood disorders, substance use concerns, and adjustment to change. My ideal clients are open to reflection and growth, even if they’re unsure where to begin. Therapy can be a place to pause, gain clarity, and restore balance.
Therapy Approaches
Life is about balance, and balance is not something you find – it is something you create. I strive to provide a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where individuals feel heard, respected, and understood. Using a variety of therapeutic approaches, I work collaboratively with clients to explore what feels out of balance in their lives and identify meaningful ways to move forward.
My role as a therapist is not to solve problems for people, but to walk alongside them as they gain insight, build on their strengths, and create lasting change. Together, we focus on developing the tools, confidence, and support needed to navigate life’s challenges both now and in the future.
Michelle uses an integrative approach to therapy, tailoring treatment to each person’s unique needs, strengths, and goals. Her therapeutic approaches include:
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
Strength-Based Therapy
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Motivational Interviewing
Person-Centered Therapy
Experience & Background
I have been working in the mental health field since 2001 and bring over 25 years of experience supporting individuals and families through a wide range of life challenges. I began my career in Community Mental Health, serving in several roles including case management, crisis residential services, and mental health treatment supervision. In 2006, I transitioned to a private outpatient mental health and substance use agency, where I have spent 10 years providing therapy. Today, I continue this work in private practice, helping individuals and families navigate life’s challenges and create meaningful change.
Throughout my career, I have worked with diverse populations experiencing a broad range of mental health and substance use concerns. My experience includes individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, psychoeducation, problem-solving skills, stress and anger management, self-esteem development, women’s issues, and substance use treatment. I remain committed to ongoing professional growth through continuing education and advanced training to ensure I provide effective, evidence-based care.
Education
Master of Social Work – Michigan State University (2002)
Bachelor of Social Work – Saginaw Valley State University (2001)
Licensure
Licensed Master Social Worker – Clinical – Michigan
Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor – Michigan
A Little More About Me
