Michelle Upton, LICSW

Michelle Upton, LICSW, helps people navigating big life transitions and the stress that comes with them. She supports people dealing with anxiety, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting strain, career questions, addiction-related problems, and the emotional load of caregiving. Michelle writes plainly and listens carefully so people feel heard from the first conversation.

She approaches therapy as a collaborative process. Sessions often draw on client-centered work and cognitive-behavioral techniques to clarify problems and try small behavior changes. Michelle also uses dialectical behavior and mindfulness-based ideas to help people manage emotions and stay focused when stress is high.

Michelle brings eight years of clinical practice in Massachusetts. Her background includes supporting people through aging and geriatric issues, cancer and medical care coordination, fertility and fatherhood concerns, and the stresses faced by first responders. She works with people coping with guilt, shame, forgiveness, and the practical effects of life change.

In sessions she aims to create calm, steady space and practical next steps. Conversations balance emotional support with concrete skills people can use between sessions. She tailors methods to each person rather than following a single formula.

People who meet with Michelle can expect short-term goals alongside deeper work when needed. She encourages honest talk about what’s getting in the way and what matters most. To begin, consider whether her focus areas match the life changes you are facing.

How Michelle Applies Approaches Online

Client-centered work focuses on understanding each person’s priorities and building a trusting relationship. It helps when someone needs space to talk through values, shifting roles, or uncertain next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, breaks larger problems into concrete thoughts and actions to try small experiments that can reduce symptoms and improve daily routines. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, offers practical skills for regulating intense emotions and handling relationship stress without escalating conflicts.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Michelle will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. That choice can change as progress is made, and she often combines elements from different approaches to match the situation.

Confirm current session options before booking since formats are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life by reducing travel time and allowing sessions during a lunch break or between appointments. It can also let someone choose a shorter check-in when days are hectic or use video when a fuller conversation is helpful. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises and mindfulness practices to an online setting so people can apply skills between sessions.