Michaela is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who strives to create a warm, supportive environment where clients feel safe to express themselves, especially if they have not always felt understood or accepted elsewhere. She views therapy as a collaborative space for healing, empowerment, connection, and creativity. In her work, Michaela often incorporates expressive arts such as painting, collage, and music, along with parts work and somatic practices, to help clients explore their experiences in meaningful and creative ways.
Michaela earned her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from William Jessup University in 2026 and her undergraduate degree in Art from San Francisco State University in 2022. Originally from the Central San Joaquin Valley, she spent her adolescence in Clovis, California. She also lived in San Francisco’s Marina District from 2021 to 2023 and spent nearly a year living in Armenia in 2016. These experiences shaped her perspective on culture, identity, resilience, economics, and geopolitics, influencing both her personal worldview and therapeutic approach.
Her clinical experience includes more than a year of working with domestic violence survivors at the Marjaree Mason Center, where she developed a strong foundation in trauma-informed and crisis-focused care. Michaela draws from feminist and culturally responsive frameworks and is currently training in somatic, expressive arts, and attachment-relational therapies. She is passionate about helping clients develop a deeper understanding of their emotional experiences, relationships, and attachment patterns as they navigate life’s challenges.
Outside of her clinical work, Michaela enjoys both creating and appreciating art, as well as writing, spiritual practices, herbalism, fashion, plants, interior design, fitness, cooking, and financial management. She also deeply values spending time with friends and family.