- Client-centered approach
- Cognitive behavioral tools
- Speaks English and Japanese
About Michelle
Michelle Ikeda is a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with four years of clinical experience helping adults manage stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship strain. She works with individuals and couples on communication, parenting concerns, grief, trauma and abuse, and life changes that come with career and family shifts.
Michelle uses a client-centered style that prioritizes what each person brings to the room. She draws on cognitive behavioral strategies and solution-focused techniques to help people identify unhelpful patterns and try small, practical changes. Motivational interviewing is part of her toolkit for supporting commitment to change.
Her background spans social services and healthcare settings. That experience includes work with the child welfare system, custody and guardianship matters, and intensive case management for caregivers. She has supported family members of people with dementia in residential care and guided families raising children or adults with developmental disabilities such as autism.
Michelle is bilingual in English and Japanese and grew up in Japan, which informs her cultural awareness and approach to communication. She describes her practice as respectful and sensitive to different cultural norms and life stories.
People often come to her for help with intimacy-related issues, communication problems, parenting stress, and decisions about separation or blended family matters. She also works with concerns tied to adoption and foster care, fertility, chronic illness, and caregiver strain.
To begin, she asks new clients to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule an initial session. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time, and cost varies with location.
How Michelle’s approaches guide online work
Michelle often uses client-centered therapy, which focuses on listening carefully and following what matters most to the person in front of her. This method helps people feel heard and identify their own goals for change.She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to spot unhelpful thoughts and habits and to test small practical shifts. CBT can be useful for anxiety, depression, and stress related to school, work, or relationships. Motivational interviewing is another tool she uses to explore ambivalence and strengthen motivation for change.
Deciding which approach to use is collaborative. Michelle will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't helped before. Together they pick methods and try them out, adjusting as needed over time.
If you want online care, check the session options before booking because the profile does not list specific formats. Confirming formats up front helps match sessions to your schedule and needs. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments around classes, work shifts, or commuting. It can also allow shorter check-ins when that fits a busy day or avoid needing to be on camera when bandwidth is low or a quieter setup is better.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
4+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English, Japanese
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and parenting concerns, grief, trauma and related life changes.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is client-centered, using CBT and solution-focused strategies plus motivational interviewing to support practical change.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has four years of experience working across social services and healthcare settings, including case management for caregivers and work with the child welfare system.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a California LMFT working from California and holds a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist credential.
Can I have sessions in a language other than English?
Sessions are offered in English and Japanese.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session options before booking, as the original details do not specify which formats are provided.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.