Welcome! Meet Michelle
Psychotherapist | Author | Trainer | Speaker
Michelle specializes in helping adults and couples overcome anxiety, depression, and relationship challenges using Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP).
Her book, What I Couldn’t Tell My Therapist, delves into the power of intensive dynamic therapy in unlocking the hidden pathways to profound transformation.
With a private practice in Washington, DC, and Virginia, Michelle also provides training and consultative supervision for health professionals.
What I Couldn't Tell My Therapist is now available!
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What I Couldn't Tell My Therapist is now available! 〰️
What is Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP)?
ISTDP is a unique therapeutic approach that combines active and experiential elements, integrating emotional and cognitive aspects to create an accelerated treatment model.
ISTDP focuses on emotional engagement and the exploration of internal resistances within the therapeutic context. Both the therapist and client form a dynamic team, working together to achieve substantial and lasting results. This method moves away from the prolonged nature of traditional therapies, fostering a more immediate and intensive approach to emotional healing. By focusing directly on unconscious conflicts, ISTDP empowers clients to confront painful emotions with the goal of achieving rapid transformation.
For more information on ISTDP, check out the Resources page.
The Book
Now available!
What I Couldn't Tell My Therapist shares the unforgettable stories of three patients in intensive therapy. Michelle, a dedicated psychotherapist, struggles with an addiction to people-pleasing and perfectionism while being tethered to opioids by mysterious chronic pain. After her own transformative odyssey, Michelle helps two troubled patients, Walter and Emma. Walter confronts the shadows of crippling depression and an intimate attachment to cannabis, while Emma yearns for a relationship but is hindered by her haunting fear of vulnerability. Within the sacred confines of intensive therapy sessions, their stories intertwine, creating a sanctuary for profound revelation.
Through these stories, the profound truth emerges—that the unspoken holds the power to shape our healing journey. What I Couldn't Tell My Therapist serves as a testament to the power of intensive therapy, inviting us to confront the depths of our unspoken truths and unlock the hidden pathways to profound transformation.
Order your copy today!
Michelle’s Services
Training and Speaking
Michelle offers intensive dynamic psychotherapy training that is designed for mental health professionals, organizations, and universities. The unique aspect of her training is the integration of real therapy session videos, which provides trainees with an opportunity to observe the therapeutic process in action. Michelle also invites a consistent focus on the clinician’s relationship to learning and integrating new clinical material, which fosters a deeper understanding of not only the new material, but themselves. As a result, this method promotes rapid breakthroughs, enhancing the overall effectiveness and efficiency of their professional development in psychotherapy.
Consultative Supervision
Elevate your therapeutic practice with Michelle’s individualized and group consultative supervision, designed for mental health and medical professionals seeking to deepen their expertise in Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). Whether you're looking for personalized mentorship, consultative supervision, or collaborative group learning, Michelle’s consultative supervision offers video tape assessment, clinical skill-building, role playing, and a supportive environment tailored to your professional growth.
Individual and Couples Psychotherapy
Michelle provides transformative therapy for individuals and couples, specializing in Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP). ISTDP is an emotionally-focused, hands-on form of therapy that helps clients engage deeply with their emotions during sessions. It is a treatment designed for more rapid change, unlike traditional long-term therapies. The goal of ISTDP is to bring about rapid improvement by addressing unconscious conflicts that affect behavior. This approach focuses on overcoming internal resistance to emotional challenges, allowing individuals to understand the root causes of their symptoms and achieve real healing and change.
Upcoming Conference
Join Michelle M. May, LPC, as she introduces the Six Triangles of the Conscious Therapeutic Alliance, a framework designed to help clinicians overcome barriers and create stronger, more effective conscious therapeutic relationships.
This session includes:
An introduction to the foundational Triangle of Conflict as well as the Six Triangles of the Conscious Therapeutic Alliance
Clear strategies for enhancing therapeutic alliances
Video examples of sessions
Sign up to strengthen your skills and effectiveness!
Interested in working with Michelle?
Whether you’re looking for psychotherapy, professional supervision, training, or a speaker in Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), Michelle brings a wealth of expertise and personalized support. Her extensive experience in therapy, consultative supervision, and dynamic speaking allows her to tailor her approach to your specific needs.
Reach out to Michelle today to discover how she can assist with your personal growth, professional development, or organizational training.