About
My company delivers three service-product offerings: Teletherapy in Florida, instructional design, and practitioner materials.
Learn all about about my counseling methods, style in session, and specialty areas on my online counseling services page. If you'd like to know what to expect from therapy, start there and follow up with my FAQs.
For samples of my instructional design work, see my instructional design page.
For information about private pay practice paperwork, counselor courseware, and done-for-you website templates, see my practitioner materials page.
I am now booking appointments for January of 2023.
Get to Know Me
My Credentials and Qualifications
Please see each of these main pages for my specific training and qualifications in online counseling services, instructional design services, and practitioner materials.
Personal Tidbits
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. Choosing a therapist is an emotional decision. 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 56 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.
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
Work-Life Balance
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?
My Company
Vision Statement
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.
Mission Statement
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.
Core Values
Listed below, the company’s core values demonstrate a commitment to innovation, to encouraging clients to step outside their comfort zone, and to catalyze trust in the integrity of the company.
Services and products are accessible from computer, phone, or tablet, 7 days/week, with service plans that offer concierge-level access to the therapist and instructional designer.
Putting people at the center of their own lives so they stop feeling trapped or stuck and start feeling capable by realizing they have more options than they thought.
Offering meaningful solutions through authentic learning experiences that enhance retention, strengthen healing, and transfer to real life situations.
Setting achievable expectations through lesson plans with clearly-understood, easily measured results that confirm changes in knowledge, skills, and attitudes that elevate experiences in all areas of one’s life.
Giving clients engaging tools to work with at their own pace, so self-improvement and lifelong learning fit into their lifestyle.
Commitment to providing exceptional value across service, content, security, and support with a focus on improving quality of life.
Developing new content in response to clients' needs and the emergence of new technologies.
Branding
Logo
The three overlapping triangles in my logo represent the intersections between my company's three offerings: online counseling, instructional design, and practitioner materials. The intricacy of my logo's icon evokes the complexity of the human spirit. My company tagline, “Exploring options, Enriching lives” speaks for the ideology underscoring of all three of my company’s offerings.
Colors
My logo color palette communicates the scope of positive states we humans seek to manifest in our lives. The descriptors below illuminate the meaning behind each color choice and explain the role of each color in supporting my mission, vision, and core values.
Optimism. Creativity. Enthusiasm. Warmth. Friendliness. Welcoming.
Boldness. Playfulness. Vibrance. Self-respect. Harmony. Energy. Defiance. Innovation.
Stimulation. Vitality. Wealth. Passion. Excitement. Urgency. Power. Action.
Cheerfulness. Brightness. Fun. Happiness. Awareness. Acuity.
Freshness. Naturalness. Growth. Renewal. Generosity. Nurturing.
Stability. Dependability. Trustworthiness.
Rejuvenation. Calming. Healing.
Soothing. Restful. Spiritual.
Strength. Loyalty. Dignity.
Security. Formality. Tradition. Mystery.
Elegance. Sophistication. Luxury. Power. Professionalism.
Purity. Simplicity. Clarity. Freshness. Cleanliness.
General Copyright Policy
Please note that all materials on this website are the copyrighted intellectual property of Michelle Robin Gould. These materials may not be shared, distributed, altered, or used for any other purpose on penalty of legal or financial repercussions. These materials are proprietary and are subject to U.S. and International Copyright Law.
Copyright Policy Regarding Client Materials
Payment for counseling service packages does not entitle or grant clients licensing rights to intellectual property. Please note that access to your learning materials and therapy and training website is intended only for the personal use of clients of Michelle Robin Gould, LMHC, NCC, BC-TMH and/or the Michelle Robin Gould Corporation. Counseling and learning materials may not be further retained or further disseminated without express written permission.
Materials created by other entities and supplied to counseling clients by Michelle Robin Gould, LMHC, NCC, BC-TMH or Michelle Robin Gould Corporation in the course of therapy have been purchased by and/or licensed to Michelle Robin Gould for use with clients. Clients may use these materials for personal use only and may not share, distribute, alter, or use these materials for any other purpose on penalty of legal or financial repercussions.