Michele McShea, LCSW

Michele McShea is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 19 years of practice. She works with adults on concerns such as anxiety, depression, relationship problems, addictions, and family of origin issues. Michele also supports people facing grief, intimacy issues, and changes like divorce or separation.

She uses a mix of practical talking therapy and focused techniques. Michele often combines cognitive behavioral methods with psychodynamic thinking to help people understand patterns that repeat from childhood. She also uses solution-focused steps when someone needs concrete next actions and hypnotherapy when appropriate.

Sessions tend to look at how early family roles and expectations still shape current choices. Michele helps people notice patterns of control, codependency, or avoidance and then try small changes to test new behaviors. Work can include addressing feelings of abandonment, guilt, shame, or persistent emptiness.

Her style balances exploring past influences with building present coping skills. This means developing clearer communication, handling commitment or intimacy worries, and managing anxiety or low motivation. Michele also addresses concerns related to LGBT issues, body image, and HIV/AIDS when they arise.

People who come for help often want both understanding and practical steps. Michele asks about goals, identifies patterns coming from family history, and suggests exercises to practice between sessions. She accepts clients from outside the United States and works in English.

How Michele’s approaches translate to online work