Charles Michel, LCSW

Charles Michel is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with three decades of experience helping people navigate life’s hard moments. He uses a straightforward, conversational style and focuses on practical steps people can take. Charles aims to make therapy feel collaborative and personal from the first session.

He draws on cognitive behavioral therapy to help people spot unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors. He also uses client-centered techniques to follow each person’s priorities and dialectical behavior therapy skills for managing emotion and stress. These approaches are adapted to the issue at hand rather than applied as a one-size-fits-all method.

Charles has worked with people facing mood disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety, as well as ADHD and addiction concerns. He also helps with everyday stresses like work problems, relationship strain, parenting challenges, sleep and eating difficulties, and low self-esteem. Additional focus areas include grief, trauma and abuse, and concerns related to adoption and foster care.

Sessions tend to be warm and collaborative. He listens for what matters most, then partners with the person to set clear goals and small practical steps. He uses tools from his different approaches to teach coping skills, improve communication, and build routines that support recovery and resilience.

Based in Indiana, Charles offers a calm presence and a practical orientation for people ready to make changes. He invites prospective clients to begin with a brief matching questionnaire and schedule a time to talk.

Evidence-informed approaches for online care

Charles uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people identify and change thinking and behavior patterns that fuel anxiety and depression. CBT focuses on small experiments and practical tools that people can try between sessions to reduce symptoms and improve routines.

He also draws on client-centered therapy, which centers the session on the person's goals and experiences. This approach emphasizes listening, empathy, and working at the client’s pace to build trust and clarity. Dialectical behavior therapy skills are used when emotional regulation, distress tolerance, or relationship skills are needed; DBT provides specific techniques for managing intense feelings and interpersonal conflict.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped in the past, then suggest strategies that fit. That decision is collaborative and can change as needs evolve.

Online therapy with Charles is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face interaction for skill teaching and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be useful when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and messaging work well for brief updates, coaching-style support, or when flexible timing matters most.