Michele Lewis, LISW, LCSW

Michele Lewis is a licensed clinical social worker who aims to make therapy approachable and useful. She speaks plainly with clients and focuses on practical steps people can take to feel more like themselves. Michele brings 26 years of experience and a warm, nonjudgmental style to sessions.

She uses clear, behavior-focused methods to help with depression, anxiety, grief, and stress. Michele often helps people facing difficult life changes, caregiver strain, chronic illness, and the emotional fallout of trauma. She also supports clients dealing with self-esteem, identity, career choices, and compassion fatigue.

In sessions Michele blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with acceptance and mindfulness tools. She encourages straightforward skill building - breathing and grounding practices, thought records, small behavior changes, and values-based goal setting. The work is collaborative and paced to each person’s needs.

Michele draws on long experience with older adults and caregivers, and she is familiar with hospice and end-of-life concerns. She also addresses family of origin issues, communication problems, codependency, and the guilt or shame that can follow major losses.

Therapy is offered in a variety of online formats, including video, phone, live chat, and text messaging. Michele is licensed in Missouri and Iowa and practices from Missouri. Sessions follow a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Psychology from William Jewell College. Michele aims to help people find clearer choices, reduce distress, and reconnect with what matters to them.

Therapeutic approaches you can use online

Michele commonly combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with client-centered principles. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and try small behavior changes to shift mood and functioning. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy focuses on clarifying personal values and taking meaningful action even when difficult feelings remain, which can be helpful for grief, chronic stress, and life transitions.

She approaches this work collaboratively, helping clients choose which methods fit best. Together they discuss goals, try a few strategies, and adjust the plan based on what feels useful. The therapist aims to make sessions practical and responsive to each person’s needs rather than following a rigid method.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and ongoing text-based messaging. Video works well when visual cues and face-to-face conversation are helpful. Phone sessions can be a good choice when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text let clients send updates, practice skills between sessions, and fit support into busy schedules. These formats increase flexibility for evening and weekend appointments and make it easier to maintain continuity of care when life is busy.