Michelle Gossard

Michelle Gossard is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Iowa with 15 years of clinical experience. She listens first and helps people name what is happening. Her work focuses on practical ways to manage strong feelings and reactions so daily life gets easier.

Michelle creates a calm space where clients lead the conversation and explore what matters to them. She treats each person as the expert on their own life while offering tools to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Sessions include simple strategies to notice triggers and respond differently to anger, anxiety, and stress.

Her approach mixes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Client-Centered Therapy. That means she uses goal-focused exercises, talks through thinking patterns that keep problems going, and follows the client's pace and priorities. The aim is steady, usable progress rather than quick fixes.

Michelle has experience in clinical and military settings and understands how life changes can affect mood, relationships, and work. She often helps people dealing with relationship strain, low self-esteem, grief, parenting stress, career transitions, and ADHD-related challenges.

People working with Michelle can expect a practical, down-to-earth style. She emphasizes accountability and step-by-step plans that fit real life. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.

How Michelle’s approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy centers on the client’s goals and pace. In practice this means the therapist listens, reflects, and follows what the client brings to each session while helping them find their own solutions. This approach supports people who want a collaborative, respectful process.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses clear, step-by-step exercises to identify thinking patterns that worsen anxiety, anger, or low mood and replaces them with more helpful responses. This approach is useful for stress, panic, anger, and mood shifts.

Solution-Focused Therapy looks at small, immediate changes that move a person toward their goals. Sessions often include setting concrete, short-term goals and tracking progress to build momentum and confidence.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, try techniques together, and adjust methods based on what fits the client's needs and preferences. That collaborative process helps tailor sessions to practical life demands.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know how meetings are scheduled. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten check-ins, avoid travel time, or choose sessions that suit a quieter environment or lower bandwidth. Licensed professionals can use these practical benefits to help people maintain steady progress without upending daily routines.