Michele McShea , LCSW

Michele McShea is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Illinois with 19 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and groups. She approaches therapy with a core belief in the possibility of healing and focuses on helping people build inner strength and healthier responses to life’s challenges. Michele blends insight and practical coping skills so clients can make meaningful, lasting changes and increase their day-to-day functioning.

Her practice addresses a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy difficulties, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, and issues related to self-esteem and body image. She also works with LGBTQ clients and attends to family of origin patterns, communication and commitment challenges, and feelings of emptiness or isolation. Michele supports clients dealing with specific concerns such as abandonment, codependency, infidelity, and the emotional aftermath of divorce or separation.

Clients can expect a collaborative process that values both insight and actionable strategies. Michele views it as an honor to accompany people as they strengthen coping skills, recover from painful experiences, and move toward greater satisfaction and peace in their lives.

Therapeutic approaches and online care with Michele McShea

Michele integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Psychodynamic and Solution-Focused approaches into her work. CBT helps clients identify and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, making it useful for anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns by teaching practical coping strategies. Psychodynamic therapy explores patterns that developed from past relationships and family of origin issues, helping clients gain insight into long-standing emotional difficulties and interpersonal repeats. Solution-Focused therapy emphasizes clients’ strengths and short-term goals - it helps people find concrete steps forward when addressing relationship problems, motivation, and life transitions.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Michele collaborates with each client to determine which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, combining insight-oriented work with practical strategies as appropriate. This collaborative style allows adjustments over time to best support progress.

Online therapy offers flexible access to care through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to schedule sessions around work, family, or travel and let clients continue therapy even when in-person visits are impractical. Working remotely still allows licensed professionals to build a therapeutic relationship and apply evidence-informed approaches tailored to each person’s situation.