Michelle clark, M.A., APCC, NCC
Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, APCC No. 6470
Supervised by Brenda Gesell, Ph.D., MFT, License No. 43151
National Certified Counselor, NCC No. 8841945
Client Focus: Couples; Adults; Adolescents
Areas of Expertise: Parenting; Life Transitions; Relationship issues; Multicultural Issues; Grief and loss
I am committed to helping people care for their relationships; I provide a warm, authentic and accepting atmosphere that reflects my dedication to helping individuals, couples, and families with life transitions, as well as grief and loss and relationship issues. I have advanced training in couples therapy; one of the great joys of my practice is witnessing couples using the tools I have shared with them as they move from anger and anxiety to trust and intimacy.
I am also passionate about working with people who come to me with multicultural issues (issues of identity, acculturation, and interracial relationships, among others). I am of Filipino heritage and am fluent in Tagalog/Filipino; I personally understand the stressors that come with pre-migration, post-migration, and acculturation, and I believe I am uniquely qualified to assist people experiencing those stressors.
My journey as a therapist began in Northern Virginia; I earned my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marymount University and obtained advanced training in Emotionally Focused Therapy; EFT is a form of couples therapy that focuses on trust and attachment in adult relationships. I am a National Certified Counselor and an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor, and I have been working in private practice for the past six years.
When I am not reviewing the latest trends and research in mental health and psychotherapy, I enjoy spending time with my family and writing. My first children’s picture book With You was recently published and reflects diversity, promotes inclusions, and promotes the value of fostering an emotional connection with children.
Your journey towards healing and wholeness can start today, and I would be honored to work alongside you.
Phone: ( 949) 407-9491
Are you expecting?
I’d love to help you with this new life transition! Bringing Baby Home is a workshop for Couples Transitioning to Parenthood! Bringing Home Baby is a research-based and research-tested program designed by renowned relationship and parenting experts, Dr. John Gottman and his wife Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman.
Dogs make life much better, Their love is pure and true. They're not just friends, they're family! They'll love you through and through. Inspired by the authors bond with her own dog and her work as a psychotherapist, "With You" is a heartwarming and relatable story about the special bond children have with their dogs for families to enjoy together. This picture book reflects diversity, promotes inclusions, and promotes the value of fostering an emotional connection with children.
Training & Experience
Education
Marymount University, Arlington, VA
M.A., Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Professional Training & Development
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Externship & Core Skills
- Gottman Method I
- Humanistic Sandtray Therapy I & II
Affiliations
- Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS)
- National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
- International Centre For Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)
- Orange County Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy (OCCEFT)
- Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
Professional Conferences & Presentations
Kakkar, S. & Clark, M. (2018, July). Alternative ways of knowing and mentoring. Educational session presented at the Association for Adult Development and Aging Conference, Arlington, Virginia.
Lopez, M., Kahoe, B., & Archer, T. (2017, April). Humanistic sandtray therapy: An expressive modality of psychotherapy. Educational session presented at the Rho Theta Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota's 2017 Conference, Washington, District of Columbia.
Georgieva, M., Kahoe, B., Lopez, M., & Archer, T. ((2017, February). A case study in humanistic sandtray therapy. Educational session presented at the Virginia Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Norfolk, Virginia.
Georgieva, M., Lopez, M., & Kahoe, B. (2016, November). Oppression and mental health: Intersection between cultural identity and theoretical orientation. Roundtable session presented at the Maryland Counseling Association Conference, Baltimore, Maryland.
Georgieva, M., Lopez, M., Walker-Shelton, L., & Kahoe, B. (2016, February). Overcoming eclecticism: Identify your theoretical foundation. Educational session presented at the Virginia Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Arlington, Virginia.