Michelle Cantrell Counseling is now the Center for Growth and Connection. Please visit our new website at CenterforGrowthandConnection.com.
Hi, I’m Michelle
My Promise to You:
I will walk along side you in this journey.
When I was in the final days of my graduate program, a professor said “You can never take a client any further than you’ve gone”. While I don’t think this means I have to have had every experience my clients have had to be able to help them, it does mean that I have to know what it’s like to do what I ask of my clients. That is, I have to know what it’s like to walk through my pain, do really hard things, be honest with myself, be accountable for my impact on others, sit with discomfort, and examine and change my behaviors. I also have to know the pain that comes with the investment of therapy – the time, the money, and the emotional energy. I know the pain of having a therapy bill as big as a mortgage. But just like monthly payments on a mortgage is building equity in your house, therapy is building equity in your life.
I’ve Been There
I’ve walked the walk.
As a trauma survivor, I have navigated complicated relationships, raised two grown children, run a business, and spent time, energy and money in service of healing. While the work is never easy, it does g Thankfully it’s a lot easier now that those muscles have been flexed so much. That’s one of the gifts of doing the work. While it never gets easy, it does get easier. Along the way, I’ve had some really great therapists to help guide me. I’ve also had really terrible therapists who taught me how NOT to be. So, while I’ve done hours and hours of post-graduate training on top of my Master’s Degree, I bring to my work my life experiences along with the wisdom, resilience, and humility that are the byproducts of those experiences.
Education & Credentials
Private practice established in 2014
Licensed in the state of California (license number LPCC12896) as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Licensed in the state of Virginia (license number 0701007352) as a Licensed Professional Counselor
Licensed in the District of Columbia (license number PRC200001861) as a Licensed Professional Counselor
M.Ed in Community Agency Counseling, George Mason University, 2014
BA in English Literature, George Mason University, 1995
Certified EFT Therapist and Supervisor
EMDR Trained
Post Induction Therapy (PIT) training for treating developmental trauma
Level 1 Certification for treating Complex Trauma
IFS Informed
Clinical Internship with Loudoun County Mental Health and Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, 2013-2014
GET TO KNOW ME
Favorite cuisine
I’m a foodie, so I will eat — and enjoy — just about anything!
In session, you’ll find that I always
Have a cup of coffee or tea, no matter the time of day
Favorite season
Anything but winter!
The book I recommend to every client
A General Theory of Love
Favorite self-care activity
Snuggling with my pups
Favorite affirmation