About Michelle
Photo Credit: Laurie Apeceche
Professionally
I am a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the BC College of Social Workers and the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. I hold a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) and over 10 years of professional experience across diverse areas of social work. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of walking alongside individuals from many walks of life, learning from their unique stories and strengths. These relationships have shaped who I am and inspired me to dedicate my career to therapeutic work.
Years of practice and self-reflection have grown my capacity to support people in a warm, welcoming, non-judgmental, and compassionate manner - centering understanding from a place of attuned curiosity. My approach is grounded in the belief that we are all doing the best we can, and that our best can be limited by thought and behaviour patterns we develop to protect ourselves against life’s challenges, disappointments, and traumas. I believe you already possess the internal resources needed to live your preferred life. Together, we will access those resources, connect with your innate wisdom, and gently move through the limitations holding you back. While my approach is largely grounded in talk therapy, I invite body awareness, breath, and art into sessions if you feel open to working in these ways. I prioritize your safety by aligning myself with the pace you set for our work together.
Central to my practice is the understanding that broader socioeconomic systems—rooted in oppression and inequality—shape our lived experiences. I am committed to ongoing education and self-reflection to dismantle these systemic biases within myself, to cultivate a safe, inclusive, and affirming space for everyone. With accessibility at the heart of my work, I offer a sliding-scale payment option for those experiencing financial limitations.
Credentials
Master of Social Work from the University of Waterloo in 2024
Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Victoria in 2016
Social Work Diploma at the College of New Caledonia in 2009
Personally
I live in Revelstoke, BC, on the unceded traditional territories of the Sinixt, K'tunaxa, Secwépemc, and Syilx-Okanagan People. I spent the first 18 years of my life in Oakville, ON, on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (treaties 14 and 22). I moved west at the age of 19 and was captured by the mountains, nature, and the activities possible in mountain landscapes. I spend a great deal of my free time in natural spaces, often in accelerated movement but increasingly in stillness and slowness. I hold deep respect and appreciation for the land I have the privilege of living on and traveling through, and for those who have stewarded this land for time immemorial.
I have been privileged to spend a large portion of my adult life traveling and living in spaces culturally different from my own. These experiences have fostered within me a deep appreciation, respect, and curiosity for diverse cultures, as well as expanded my ways of relating, thinking, and understanding human experiences and systemic struggles.
Movement, mindfulness, and embodiment are pillars of my wellbeing. Dance has been a refuge of mine since childhood, rooting me in connection and freedom all at once. I have been studying and practicing yoga and meditation for the better part of 15 years, they support my return home to myself. In my quiet hours, I love reading about social justice and counselling related topics, journaling, connecting with friends and family, and the odd TV show for a laugh.
“Our real human nature is love, mental clarity, creativity, and a zest for life that is informed by the past but no longer weighed down or controlled by it”. - Yung Pueblo
- Yung Pueblo
Please feel free to contact me with any questions!