- CBT techniques
- Mindfulness practice
- Motivational interviewing
About Michelle
Michelle Garibaldi is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in California with 23 years of experience. She focuses on common, practical problems people bring to therapy - stress, anxiety, relationship struggles, grief, anger, and life changes. Michelle uses straightforward methods to help clients identify what they want to change and set clear goals.
Her style is collaborative and goal-oriented. Sessions look at thoughts, behaviors, and the stories people tell about themselves. Michelle draws on client-centered work to keep conversations grounded in each person's experience. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to test unhelpful thinking and narrative methods to reframe personal stories.
Michelle brings mindfulness practices into sessions to help with tension, sleep problems, and emotional regulation. Motivational interviewing appears when someone needs to find energy for change, such as with addictions or career shifts. These tools are presented in plain language and practiced in-session so skills can be used outside appointments.
She works with a wide range of concerns including trauma and abuse, parenting strain, intimacy-related issues, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. Michelle also addresses life-stage topics like midlife transitions, aging, and end-of-life matters in a practical manner. She helps people untangle communication problems, blended family stresses, and separation or divorce issues.
Sessions focus on what the client wants to improve and clear next steps. Michelle asks concrete questions, offers behavioral tasks, and reviews progress regularly. The emphasis is on workable changes that fit everyday life.
How Michelle’s approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy keeps the focus on the person's concerns and values. In practice this means sessions start with the client's priorities and the therapist follows the client's lead to set goals and next steps.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses short experiments and homework tasks to test ideas and change unhelpful patterns, which can help with anger, anxiety, and sleep problems.
Mindfulness Therapy introduces simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve emotional regulation. These are short exercises that can be practiced during or between sessions to help manage stress and frustration.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to choose methods that match goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked before. This is an ongoing conversation rather than a one-time decision.
The profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm the available options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, reduce travel time, and allow for brief check-ins when a full session is not needed. Ask about session length and any practical details when you schedule your first appointment.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
23+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family concerns, grief, trauma and abuse, addictions, anger, sleep problems, parenting, and related life changes.
How would you describe her approach in sessions?
She uses a collaborative, goal-focused style that combines client-centered conversation with practical techniques from CBT, narrative work, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing.
How much experience does she have?
She has 23 years of clinical experience working with a wide range of concerns.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA LMFT) practicing from California.
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What formats are available for sessions?
The original profile does not specify session formats. Confirm current session options before booking to know how sessions are delivered.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.