Michelle Shegda, M.A.
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist & Associate Clinical Professional COUNSELOR

For much of my life, I’ve used activity — of all kinds — as a way to distract myself from feeling. I lived in my head, allowing my intellect to take the lead, while quietly stuffing down the emotions that felt too overwhelming to face. But I’ve learned that suppressing feelings takes up an enormous amount of energy — energy that could be spent having fun, doing meaningful work, and truly participating in relationships.

The solution I’ve found is learning to be with my feelings, rather than running from them. When we allow ourselves to fully experience our emotions, without judgment or fear, we open the door to the wisdom they carry. It’s not about getting rid of difficult feelings, but about making space for them, trusting that they have something important to teach us.

The result is freedom and presence. By creating space for my emotions, I’ve reclaimed the energy I once spent avoiding them. I’ve been able to show up more authentically in my relationships, engage more deeply in life, and find joy in the simple, everyday moments. What I’ve learned in my own healing, now guides my work with clients. I create a space where they too can slow down, listen deeply, and reclaim the energy once spent in struggle so they can move through life with greater ease, clarity, and authentic connection.

Working with Michelle is like stepping into a space where depth meets movement—where every part of the self, no matter how fragmented, is welcomed with compassion and clarity. Known for her ability to tune in deeply, Michelle helps individuals, couples, teens, and families navigate complex emotional landscapes through evidence-based practices like The Gottman Method, CBT and DBT, alongside the healing power of Internal Family Systems- Informed Therapy and somatic modalities such as yoga and mindful movement. Her sessions are often described as grounding yet catalytic—she meets clients where they are, helping them move through trauma, grief, obsessive-compulsive patterns, and body image struggles with both tenderness and structured support. Whether someone is working through the impacts of sexual abuse, navigating life transitions like menopause or recovery milestones, or rebuilding after addiction, Michelle offers a steady, attuned presence.

Her work resonates most with those craving depth and a nuanced understanding of identity, relationships, and resilience. Clients in open or non-traditional relationship structures, those on the autism spectrum, and justice-impacted individuals find Michelle’s nonjudgmental and trauma-informed approach deeply validating. She has a unique gift for supporting high-achieving personalities who wrestle with perfectionism and codependency, often illuminating how early attachment dynamics still shape present-day challenges. Whether someone is confronting eating disorders, exploring sex therapy, or seeking healing in the wake of loss, Michelle invites them to reconnect with their bodies, their values, and their inner strength. In her presence, therapy becomes not just a tool for coping—but a catalyst for authentic, embodied transformation.

Michelle embodies Flourish Mindset’s core values of curiosity and collaboration in her work with clients . In her clinical practice, she actively works to decolonize mental health by naming the systems that shape our suffering: white supremacy, capitalism, patriarchy, sexism, and body oppression. She supports clients in seeing their symptoms not as personal failures but as survival responses to systemic harm. Using somatic therapy, yoga, and parts work (IFS), she helps clients reclaim their bodies as sites of wisdom and resistance, not control. 

More Than Just My Work:

• I am a twin to a brother, an experience that has deeply shaped my understanding of gender constructs, individuality and self-worth. Growing up as a twin has given me a unique lens on identity, authenticity, and carving out my own distinct path.

• I am a marathon runner who finds clarity, resilience, and healing in the discipline of distance running. Training for marathons has taught me the power of endurance — not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. Running is my moving meditation, a practice that mirrors life’s ebbs and flows, and keeps me grounded in my own growth.

• I am a student of dance and embrace the joy and playfulness of learning something entirely new. Stepping into tap dancing as an adult has reminded me of the beauty in being a beginner again — of making space for creativity, laughter, and the rhythmic connection between body and sound.