Michelle Gossard, LMHC

Michelle Gossard is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in Iowa with 15 years of clinical experience. She listens first and helps people name what feels off. Her work focuses on practical steps to manage thoughts, feelings, and reactions so daily life feels more workable.

She aims to build a calm space where clients can tell their story. Michelle treats each person as the expert on their own life and helps them notice strengths they already have. She teaches skills for handling anger, anxiety, and negative self-talk while encouraging steady accountability.

Michelle draws on cognitive behavioral methods to identify unhelpful thinking and try different ways of responding. She uses solution-focused techniques to set clear, achievable goals. Her client-centered stance makes room for each person’s pace and priorities.

Her experience includes clinical work and work in a military setting, and she has supported people facing deployment-related stress and similar concerns. Common areas she addresses include stress, relationship strain, grief, parenting pressures, ADHD, and self-esteem challenges.

Michelle also works with issues that often come up midlife and around major life changes, such as career transitions, commitment concerns, jealousy, and aging-related questions. She aims to help people develop practical tools that fit into their everyday routines.

How her approaches shape online work

Michelle uses client-centered therapy to follow each person’s lead and make space for what matters most to them. This approach focuses on listening, reflecting, and building on the client’s own strengths to move forward.

She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. CBT helps people identify unhelpful thinking patterns and try practical alternatives to reduce anxiety, manage anger, and change negative self-talk.

Solution-focused therapy is another tool she uses to set clear, short-term goals and track small steps that lead to change. It’s useful when someone wants targeted progress on issues like stress, relationship concerns, or career decisions.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Michelle will talk with each person about goals and preferences and adapt techniques as therapy progresses. Together they decide which methods feel most useful for everyday life.

The profile does not list specific session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people try tools from home or during a break at work without committing to lengthy appointments.