Michelle Goodwater, LMHC

Michelle Goodwater is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Washington with seven years of clinical experience. She offers a direct, warm style and focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, and major life changes.

Her approach blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, EMDR, and client-centered methods. Sessions are conversational and practical. She adapts techniques to fit what each person needs rather than using a one-size-fits-all plan.

Michelle has worked with people who have experienced trauma, including childhood abuse and military-related trauma, and with those facing career strain, sleep problems, and health-related stress. She also supports people dealing with family of origin issues, codependency, fertility and cancer-related concerns, and feelings of emptiness or shame.

In sessions she aims to be respectful, sensitive, and compassionate. The focus is on clear goals, manageable steps, and skills people can use between meetings. Michelle avoids stigmatizing labels and centers the conversation on the person in front of her.

She encourages anyone feeling stuck or overwhelmed to consider therapy as a practical step. The first meetings typically focus on understanding current struggles and deciding on an approach that fits the client’s values and daily life.

Using evidence-based approaches in online therapy

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying what matters most to a person and teaching simple skills to act on those values even when feelings are hard. It can help with anxiety, depression, and decisions about life direction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and builds practical skills to change unhelpful patterns; it often helps with anxiety, sleep problems, and mood. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma-focused approach that aims to reduce the intensity of distressing memories and the way they affect daily life.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will listen to your concerns, try different techniques when needed, and work with you to decide what fits your goals and preferences. Goals and methods are reviewed together as therapy progresses.

Many people find online therapy helpful because it can fit into busy schedules and reduce travel time. Online sessions can make it easier to have shorter check-ins between in-person appointments or to fit a session into a work break. Please confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are available.