Michelle Garibaldi

LMFT

California

Goal-focused therapist who listens and guides

Continue with Michelle

At a glance

Credentials

LMFT

License

LMFT, California / 40177

NPI

1093911224

Experience

23 years

Languages

English

Location

California

Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.

1. • Collaborative approach
   • Action oriented
   • Warm and direct

   About Michelle

   Michelle Garibaldi is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in California. She draws on more than two decades of experience to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, and relationship or parenting concerns. Her approach is direct and collaborative, aimed at helping clients define clear goals and move toward them.

   Michelle uses practical, active methods in sessions. She combines Client-Centered work with cognitive-behavioral techniques and Motivational Interviewing to help people change habits and reach personal goals. Narrative and mindfulness approaches are also part of her work when they fit a client's needs. Sessions focus on what a person wants to improve and on small steps toward that change.

   Her style is warm and empathic while remaining focused on results. Michelle listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps clients break down big problems into manageable actions. She often works with people facing trauma and abuse histories, grief, intimacy concerns, sleep problems, ADHD, and compassion fatigue.

   Over 23 years, Michelle has supported people through life changes like divorce, caregiving, midlife transitions, and career shifts. She has experience addressing attachment and abandonment worries, blended family dynamics, fatherhood issues, and challenges common to first responders. Those concerns inform how she structures therapy and sets goals with clients.

   People who prefer straightforward guidance and collaborative goal-setting often find her approach helpful. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability. The subscription for sessions can be canceled at any time.

2. How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

   Michelle commonly draws on Motivational Interviewing to help people explore their readiness for change and strengthen their own reasons for making different choices. This approach is useful for overcoming ambivalence about habits, addictions, or major life shifts.
   
   She also uses Client-Centered Therapy to create a listening, nonjudgmental space where people can clarify values and goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is used to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and practice new behaviors that reduce anxiety and depression symptoms.
   
   Finding the right approach is part of the work. Michelle will collaborate with each person to identify which method or combination fits best based on goals, day-to-day needs, and personal preference. That decision is revisited as progress is made.
   
   Session formats are not listed here, so please confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Many people appreciate being able to schedule sessions around work, caregiving, or medical appointments while still working on clear, actionable goals with a licensed therapist.

4. Areas of expertise

   Primary focus

   Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseDepression

   Also works with

   AddictionsLGBTGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

   Additional focus areas

   AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCommunication problemsDivorce and separationFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

   Therapeutic approaches

   Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused Therapy

   Experience

   23+ years

   Listed in

   California

   Languages

   English

5. Frequently asked questions

   What concerns does Michelle specialize in?

   She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, relationship and parenting concerns, intimacy and sleeping issues, ADHD, career shifts, and related life changes.

   How would you describe her therapy style?

   Her style is warm and empathic while staying focused on practical steps. Sessions are collaborative and goal-oriented, breaking larger problems into manageable actions.

   What is her professional background?

   She has 23 years of clinical experience working with a wide range of issues including family problems, trauma recovery, grief, and compassion fatigue.

   What credentials and region are associated with this therapist?

   Michelle is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) practicing in California.

   Which languages are sessions offered in?

   Sessions are offered in English.

   Can people outside the U.S. work with her?

   International clients are not currently accepted; she works with clients within her licensed region.

   How are fees and billing handled?

   Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

   What steps should I take to begin therapy?

   Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

6. Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers

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