Michelle (Sheli) Miller , LCSW

Michelle (Sheli) Miller is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who brings 18 years of experience to her work with individuals, families, and communities. Born and raised in the Bay Area of California, she is committed to giving back to the neighborhoods that shaped her, and she draws on both professional training and lived experience to support clients through difficult transitions and ongoing life challenges.

Her journey to becoming a therapist began with a personal drive to understand and heal from early life experiences. That process informed her belief in strengthening personal resources while learning practical skills to build a more stable home life and healthier relationships with partners, family, friends, and coworkers. She focuses on helping people separate what was carried forward from childhood from what can be learned and created in adulthood.

Michelle approaches therapy with sensitivity, respect, active listening, and a nonjudgmental stance. She has worked with a wide range of populations including older adults, incarcerated youth and adults, college students, LGBTQQIA+ individuals, multicultural and blended families, and people facing medical, educational, or mental health challenges. Her clinical work spans domestic violence centers, hospitals and medical settings, community agencies, youth organizations, and private practice.

Her practice is grounded in a strengths-based perspective and integrates evidence-informed methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness techniques, Motivational Interviewing, Positive Psychology, and Family Structural Systems to tailor support to each person’s needs. Michelle values the insights gained from her own therapeutic work and seeks to translate that understanding into actionable goals that foster greater wellbeing and continued growth.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Michelle (Sheli) Miller commonly draws on Client-Centered Therapy, which emphasizes empathy, active listening, and a collaborative relationship to help clients explore values, build self-understanding, and strengthen self-worth. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, an approach that can be especially useful for anxiety, depression, and stress management. Additionally, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) techniques are applied to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness for those coping with intense emotions or relationship challenges.

Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Michelle works collaboratively with each client to assess goals, preferences, and life circumstances, then adapts methods to fit what will be most helpful for that individual.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, letting clients access support from home or on the go. These options make scheduling easier, reduce travel time, and allow ongoing connection with licensed professionals and therapists when life is busy or circumstances change.