About

As my client, you'll have a private therapy and training site designed around the information you provide in your intake forms and our initial session. You have 24/7 access to learning content to study and exercises to work on at your own pace. Every lesson is backed by a lesson plan. When you start an assignment, you'll know exactly what KSA (knowledge, skills, attitudes) each lesson targets. You'll know what you're expected to do and how it will serve you in the real world in observable, measurable results. This content spurs your thought process and helps you identify the questions and concerns you want to talk about in session. Your work in between sessions helps us make more productive use of your therapy time. 

Your site is designed to be a smart learning space. This means 

• the fresh, provocative content and inquiry-based exercises will make you smarter by increasing your knowledge, improving your skills, and helping you develop your ability to make healthy decisions for yourself 

• the content is presented using evidenced-based design practices that promote learning and retention and manage cognitive overload, helping you ask pointed questions and construct self-directed answers

• the material is curated to help you work smarter, not harder

• the content draws from sources all over the digital world, subtly building your skills at navigating the internet for information and opportunities that increase your confidence, your self-efficacy, and your sense of self-worth

• the content is updated to reflect the needs that come up for you in therapy

Your therapeutic learning experience is supported with feedback throughout the week - feedback that's timely, focused, and relevant to you and your life circumstances. I offer multiple communication channels through which you can reach me 7 days/week. This level of accessibility means you don't have to wait a whole week to ask a question, share a thought, request additional work, or set up additional time to meet. 

You can expect me to give you my 100% best.

You can expect to get out of therapy what you put into it. I am not a mind reader, nor am I a fortune teller. As we first meet, I cannot predict what kind of effort you will put into your therapy, how long it will take, or how you will respond to the work. The longer we work together, the better equipped I will be to point out barriers and offer solutions. Whether you choose to implement those solutions is up to you. I will also supply research that establishes trends in terms of how clients respond to and benefit from different types of coping skills and therapeutic strategies. This research may give you some idea of what to expect, but it is important to recognize that every person has a unique set of genes, experiences, and environment, which is why we tailor your treatment plan to your specific needs.  

I will send you a confirmation text or email before every appointment. This email will also contain the link to a web-based check-in form. The form includes a self-assessment that you will complete before each session so we can track your progress as you see it. If you do not complete the check-in before the session, I will ask you to complete it at the start of the session. You can ask me to show you the results of these assessments any time you'd like.

I will end each session with a brief recap. Please know that I welcome your therapy-related questions at any time during the session. 

We will begin each session with a short breathing exercise - a few cleansing breaths to ground us in the moment - not a full-on meditation, just a few deep breaths. Some good old-fashioned inhaling and exhaling. This grounds us and brings us into the moment and the work at hand. During the session, we'll talk about what you've worked on, what's come up for you in that work and in your life that week, and if there is anything in particular that you'd like to cover that day - anything pressing or anything new.

In some sessions, we will just talk. In other sessions, we may review assignments you worked on, coordinate on new assignments, and plan our direction for future sessions. I'll suggest readings, videos, and exercises for the week and tell you where and how to find them. 

I do take notes during a session, so you may see me writing or typing. It's all about providing a high standard of care, and you are welcome to ask what I wrote. Toward the end of each session, you'll hear a 10 minute timer so we can wrap up and wind down with a few deep breaths, establish any goals for the time between sessions, and set up our next appointment. 

When constructive, I will email you a personalized follow-up care plan that reviews the goals you are working on and gives you a record of the support activities you decided you’d like to work on between sessions (aka homework). If you already have a follow-up care plan, I will send you any updates. 

Other details that clients often like to know about what to expect in sessions:

• My attire for sessions ranges from casual to business casual.

• I drink water or tea during sessions.

• My cat will probably make an appearance at some point, and you may hear an occasional meow, followed by me reminding him that this is your time, not his.

• I keep my device notifications on silent so there are no distractions during your session.

• I cuss. If you'd prefer I do not, let me know and I will honor your preference during your sessions.

Please read my conduct and ethics policies and procedures for more information about the standards you can expect from me and the conduct I expect from you. 

To provide the standard of care required by state law and the ethics codes of my profession, it is my policy to meet with you via video for our initial session, at minimum. If you prefer other mediums (phone, text, email) for your regular sessions, we can discuss whether or not this is advisable for you in your first session. That decision will depend on your presenting problems, your home and/or work environment, the technology that's available to you, your schedule, and your level of comfort and skill communicating through various channels. 

If you haven't been there yet, head over to my counseling services page to read about the clinical methods I use and why I chose them.

My business model is built around weekly services when we start out. For the first month, I recommend weekly one-hour video sessions. If you prefer phone sessions, we can switch to audio-only sessions after the initial video session. I also offer therapy services via HIPAA-secure text messaging or email. If you'd like to meet more often than once a week, let me know. Please see my therapy services and fees for all the details. If you have questions after reading that page, please feel free to send questions via this form.  

I base my business model on my training, field experience, and evidenced-based practices. Research in both counseling and education confirms that these methods and materials help you achieve your therapeutic goals and lead to lasting change. 

Studies show that long term treatment has the highest success rate. To get the most out of your therapy and make lasting changes, I strongly recommend we meet weekly for a minimum of 6 months. Every six months, we will review your case and decide together whether to meet less frequently. I will provide you with an update to our pricing structure and informed consent agreement at that time. 

We will review your treatment plan and progress every 30 days. If it is warranted, we may decide to meet less frequently. At that point, frequency will be decided collaboratively based on your progress, your outstanding goals, and your state-of-mind. 

I graduated with my mental health counseling degree in 2012. Back when I was in school, I was required to complete a year-long practicum at a treatment site. This practicum is analogous to a doctor going through a residency. As a counselor-to-be, I was placed at a substance use treatment facility where it was my privilege to witness the spirit and courage of people fighting addiction, stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. There is a flow to recovery - a process that is noble and humbling and beautiful to watch. I chose to specialize in addiction recovery, stress & anxiety, and personal growth in my private practice because I wanted to look forward to going to work every day. I get to watch the most incredible transformations happen for people through this work, and it is easy to be passionate about my job. 

Aside from the counseling profession, my favorite jobs were:

• 20 years as a licensed nail technician because I got to talk to people all day and make them feel special and cared for

• 2 years as a trade school educator because I got to empower adults seeking new or second careers

• Working as a PBX switchboard operator and receptionist because I got to help people make connections

There are different schools of thought on degrees of self-disclosure from therapists. Most clinicians agree that self-disclosure in session should be offered when it has clinical value - when it provides perspective about something you're working on. 

Then there's the type of self-disclosure that might interest you in your search for a therapist. I'm a stickler for professional boundaries. But I also believe it's reasonable that you'd want to know a little something about the person you're going to spend hours talking to about your most personal thoughts and feelings. These are some of the things you might want to know about me as a person that could help you decide if we would be a good fit.

• I am a perpetual student. I love to learn something new every day.

• I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian. 

• I have multiple disabilities.

• I am 57 years old. 

• I am a homebody.

• If you're a nickname person, my nickname is Em.

• I prefer dark chocolate, soft music, pretty food, and casual clothes.

• I watch action or sci-fi movies, legal dramas, and cooking shows.

• I am wordy but not windy.

• I am both informal and bookish.

• I cuss a lot.

• I believe in free will, but I also think things happen for a reason.

• I believe racism, misogyny, and other forms of bigotry are systemic.

• I believe trauma is intergenerational and often cultural, and that most of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual struggles are passed on to us through both genetics and environment.

• I believe there are many pathways to recovery, and I will not tell you which one to choose. I will provide you with resources so you can make an informed decision.

• I am a Democrat.

• I am spiritual, but not religious. I have been an atheist my whole life, but I do believe there are powers greater than myself. The closest thing I've ever heard that describes my concept of my higher power is The Force from Star Wars.

There are several things I do to maintain work-life balance. In addition to work, I keep in close contact with family and friends. I place equal emphasis on leisure and intellectual pursuits. I follow blogs on personal development, science and technological innovation, animals, food, and current events. I subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, Amazon Music, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and a variety of newsletters. I love meal time. I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian, and I'm constantly experimenting. I believe food should be pretty, and I put as much energy into plating a meal for myself as I would if I were throwing a dinner party. Cooking is meditative for me. 

I have been in continuous recovery from addiction since 2011. I practice an active recovery program. I call recovery supports daily, I attend meetings and workshops, I have a sponsor, I maintain service commitments, I read voraciously about recovery-related topics, and I journal.  Most importantly, I stay teachable. My addiction recovery clients tell me that they feel more comfortable trusting my work with them because of my lived experience in recovery. They know I can understand what they're feeling.

I spend a lot of time learning to live in the moment from my cat, a Bombay Panther (aka black cat) named Charley-McGillicuddy. I meditate daily, and I use the Yamuna Body Rolling balls for chronic pain management. I'm a big believer in taking time to breathe, stretch, and ponder.  

One of my favorite ways to relax is creating posts for my social media sites. Having a creative outlet that channels my recovery interests keeps my imagination active and my recovery fresh. If you decide to check out my social media site, please be sure to read my social media policy for clients first. 

You may have noticed that I offer counseling services seven days a week, and you might wonder how I avoid burnout. Keep in mind that just because I book sessions seven days a week doesn't mean I have time available every waking hour of all seven days! If I've booked personal time, I consider that time just as booked as it would be for a professional appointment. After all, if I don't model good time management and healthy habits for you, how could you trust me to help you with those issues?

The vision of the Michelle Robin Gould Corporation is:

• To empower people in recovery to wake up with passion for life. 

• To engage counseling clients and colleagues with dynamic, lean-forward learning that inspires participation and drives clients toward real world action.

• To innovate the delivery of private practice counseling by providing secure, affordable options to support the adoption of e-learning content in client treatment and counselor education.

• To bridge the gap between private practice counseling. instructional design and delivery, and counselor education by fusing research-supported strategies from the counseling, education, system theory, and technology industries.

My mission is helping humans learn how to human. I optimize therapy with supplemental trainings that feature evidence-based, state-of-the-art instructional design. Everything you learn should be personalized, measurable, and applicable in your daily life.