Michelle C. Brooten-Brooks

LMFT

I am now in-network with Anthem BCBS. I became a therapist because I had a genuine desire to be of service to others. I went back to school later in life, with marriage, motherhood, and life experience going with me. I know first-hand how challenging relationships – all of them – can be. How life happens to all of us and sometimes individually, as a couple or in any of our relationships, we need support and new skills to find our way back to connection. Relationships are hard, coupling and marriage are hard, being single is hard, life when separated or divorced, is hard, adulting is hard, and parenting is often next-level hard – whatever your situation, my belief that therapy can help is why I am here to help others.

I believe relationships are the most challenging part of our human experience, the most rewarding, and the most important. When our relationships are going well we experience the greatest joys life has to offer us, but when they are not it can be gut-wrenching, stressful, soul-crushing, and anxiety-provoking. At the end of the day and at the end of life, it’s our relationships that matter most. None of us are born with relationship skills and yet we’re all dealing with many different relationships on a daily basis. Therapy can provide strategies, coping skills, and peace of mind. I think attachment explains a lot about relationships. I’m trained in attachment-based Emotionally Focused Therapy, Attachment-based Family Therapy, and I have trained for six years with a clinical supervisor who has 30 years of experience as a relationship specialist.

To start, I explain a little bit about myself to give clients a chance to settle in. Then, I want to hear what is bringing the client or clients to therapy, and what do they hope to get out of therapy? I'm aware that by the time a client is sitting in front of me, it took a lot of courage to get to that spot and therapy can feel uncomfortable, so I aim to put clients at ease as quickly as possible. I work to be present and attuned, literally tuning in and focusing on the client and what they are saying. I also tell clients what I'm thinking so they aren't left wondering, or worse, feeling judged and analyzed. If we can accomplish the clients’ goals quickly in a few sessions, I’m all for it. If clients want to spend more time in therapy, I’m fine with that too. Overall, I want clients to feel that together we are working toward the change and relief they are seeking.