Michelle Nguyen, LICSW

Michelle Nguyen is a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, depression, grief, and midlife concerns. She also supports those coping with addictions, trauma and abuse, self-esteem struggles, and questions about intimacy and parenting. Michelle writes and speaks plainly and aims to make therapy feel practical and understandable.

Michelle has five years of clinical experience across inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings. She has also worked as an investigative social worker for Child Protective Services and with homeless veterans. Those roles shaped how she listens and responds to immediate needs while keeping longer-term goals in view.

In sessions she focuses on clear, goal-oriented conversation. She uses client-centered methods to follow the client’s priorities, and she blends cognitive behavioral strategies to identify unhelpful thoughts and patterns. Mindfulness skills and solution-focused techniques are used to build skills clients can use between meetings.

Michelle is used to working with people from many backgrounds and with complex life stressors. She aims for practical steps clients can try at home, at work, or while juggling family life. The tone in her work is direct but respectful, with an emphasis on small, achievable changes.

Clients who want to begin are encouraged to consider what they most want to change or understand. Michelle helps people set short-term goals and tracks progress as sessions continue. She practices in the District of Columbia and provides services in English.

How therapeutic approaches guide online care

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person’s own goals and the therapist follows the client’s lead to build understanding and trust. It helps when people want to be heard and to shape their own next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at how thoughts and actions influence mood and behavior and teaches practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns.

Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to test methods and see what fits best for their goals, values, and daily routines. That might mean mixing approaches, adjusting homework, or shifting focus as progress is tracked.

Session formats are not specified here, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy around work, family, or caregiving responsibilities and often reduce travel time. Some session styles may be quicker check-ins, while others allow for longer, deeper work; Michelle aims to match session flow to what a person needs and to practical constraints in everyday life.