Michelle Schaefer

Michelle works with adults, couples, families, and groups. She has a heart for working with women through life transitions and other issues unique to women’s reproductive events such as infertility, pregnancy/infant loss, abortion grief/shame, perinatal/perimenopausal mood disorders, adjustment to parenting, and maternal/infant bonding. To support this specialization she has an advanced certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International. Additionally, she is trained in the application of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy with perinatal trauma. Through her previous work and life experiences she knows that parenting can be tough at times and loves to support individuals and couples on the journey of parenting. Fathers/birthing-partners are often overlooked in care settings which she believes is a flaw in the support of families during this transition. She aims to have a partner-inclusive practice in her treatment philosophy for the perinatal population, because she believes it is the best model for the flourishing of babies, parents, and the couple’s relationship. She's passionate about working with couples to create healthier and more secure marital relationships, both emotionally and physically. Her approach with couples is to work to understand the perspective of each partner, creating a strong therapeutic alliance with both, and then to assist couples with exploring, understanding, and changing relational patterns through increased empathy, vulnerability, and trust. Specialty Treatment Areas: Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, families, and individuals Perinatal mental health and the transition to parenthood Life transitions (emerging adulthood, career, divorce, parenting, empty nesting) Anxiety/Depression Faith-based/spiritual concerns Additional Treatment Areas: Mood disorders Family relationships/conflict Grief and loss Infertility EMDR for perinatal/reproductive trauma Pregnancy or infant loss Perimenopausal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Moral Injury Health/medical crisis