Michelle Upton

Michelle Upton, LICSW, helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, and major life changes. She supports people dealing with illness, caregiving strain, addiction concerns, relationship and intimacy issues, and work or parenting pressures. Her tone is calm and practical, and she aims to make conversations straightforward and useful.

Michelle approaches each situation as unique. She listens first and asks what matters most to the person sitting across from her. From there she blends methods to match immediate needs and longer-term goals. Sessions focus on useful skills, clearer communication, and ways to reduce overwhelm.

Her work often involves coordinating with medical and care teams and addressing the ripple effects of illness and aging. She also helps people cope with career transitions, fertility and fatherhood concerns, and the emotional fallout of separation or addiction. This practical focus aims to make day-to-day life more manageable.

Michelle uses Client-Centered approaches alongside cognitive and mindfulness-based techniques. She brings dialectical strategies when strong emotions are present and draws on narrative ideas to help people rewrite painful stories. The mix changes to suit what each person needs in the room.

She has eight years of practice as a licensed clinical social worker in Massachusetts and brings experience supporting those facing cancer, caregiving burdens, and grief. To begin, people are invited to describe their situation and pick the next steps that feel right for them.

How Michelle’s approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following the person’s lead. In practice this means sessions start with what feels most urgent and build from there, which helps with grief, caregiver stress, and relationship issues.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. It offers simple exercises and homework to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and handle cravings or risky patterns.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) adds skills for emotion regulation and tolerating intense feelings. It’s useful when someone struggles with impulsive reactions or overwhelming emotions during major life transitions.

Finding the right approach is a shared process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals and preferences and adjust methods as they go. That collaborative planning helps match tools to real-life challenges rather than following one set method.

If you are considering online work, confirm the available session formats before booking. Online options can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow for shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Ask about scheduling and how sessions typically flow so you can pick what fits your routine.