I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California with diverse experience in social services and healthcare fields. My expertise is in helping individuals/couples cope with differences in priorities, improve communication, and facilitate better understanding of each other. I have a variety of experiences working with children and families with issues related to child welfare system, court or non-court custody related issues, legal guardianship related issues and parenting issues. I am very passionate about helping individuals and couples with relationship and family dynamics issues.
I am bilingual in English and Japanese. Growing up in Japan, I was taught to be modest and humble, and also to always be mindful of others. I believe in treating everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. My belief is highlighted when interacting with clients as I use a client-centered approach.
Throughout the years of my helping profession, I have worked with clients from 0 to 110 years old of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds! I have experiences providing intensive case management services to caregivers/families and elderly residents, particularly family members of dementia patients in convalescent facility settings. People with advanced age have a lot of life experience to share, and I am intrigued by their life stories. I also have extensive knowledge of supporting and guiding family members of children and adults with developmental disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder.
My current regular availability is limited to weekends (Friday evening through Sunday) and some holidays, but I can work with weekday evenings on as needed basis for existing clients.
Additional areas of focus: Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse, Grief, Intimacy-related issues, Career difficulties, Coping with life changes, Adoption and foster care, Aging and geriatric issues, Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Blended family issues, Caregiver issues and stress, Chronic pain, illness, and disability, Commitment issues, Communication problems, Coping with natural or human-caused disaster, Divorce and separation, Emptiness, Family of origin issues, Family problems, Fatherhood issues, Fertility issues, First responder issues, Guilt and shame, Hoarding, Hospice and end-of-life counseling, Immigration issues, Infidelity, Isolation / loneliness, Jealousy, Life purpose, Midlife crisis, Mood disorders, Multicultural concerns, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Postpartum depression, Post-traumatic stress, Pregnancy and childbirth, Self-love, Women's issues, Workplace issues, Young adult issues
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy
CA LMFT 135802
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Michelle Ikeda. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Michelle is a great therapist who helped me with my specific loss related issues and also helped me explore conflict resolution in helpful ways for workplace and home life situations. Would strongly recommend her to anyone!
Written on Sep 01, 2023 after therapy with Michelle for 1 month on issues concerning relationship issues, family conflicts, grief, intimacy-related issues, and coping with life changes