Michelle McHugh, LICSW, LCSW

Alabama · 23 years in practice

Michelle McHugh is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Arkansas.

License and registration

LICSW, Alabama: 1799C · expires December 2027
LCSW, Arkansas: 9844-C · expires September 2027
NPI: 1518397785 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 23
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.

About Michelle

Michelle McHugh is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Arkansas. She draws on more than two decades of clinical experience to help people who are facing stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, depression, grief, and relationship concerns. Her background includes inpatient addiction and psychiatric settings as well as outpatient mental health clinics.

She also has long-standing service as a Behavioral Health Officer in the Army National Guard and years of work with active Guard soldiers and veterans from multiple branches.

Background and approach

Michelle uses practical techniques people can try between sessions. She blends cognitive behavioral tools with mindfulness exercises, motivational interviewing, and trauma-focused methods. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is part of her trauma work when appropriate.

Sessions aim to reduce shame, build coping skills, and improve sleep and self-esteem. She also helps people navigate mood concerns including bipolar symptoms, substance use, and challenges tied to identity and discrimination. Michelle describes her counseling style as collaborative and nonjudgmental.

She works with each person to choose approaches that match their goals and pace. Her combined clinical and military experience shapes a practical, straightforward way of working. To begin, she asks people to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.

The process is set up so therapists and clients can find the best fit and move forward together.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Michelle lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Approaches Michelle names

Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.

Online support

How EMDR, CBT, and Mindfulness work online

Michelle often draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thinking patterns and try small behavior changes that improve mood and reduce anxiety. CBT is practical and task-focused, so it translates well to video or phone sessions.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is used as part of trauma-focused work to help reduce the intensity of upsetting memories and the emotions tied to them. Sessions using EMDR can be adapted for online formats with clear step-by-step pacing and clinician guidance.

Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to calm reactivity and improve sleep and concentration. These exercises are easy to practice between sessions and can be guided over video, phone, or text check-ins.

Choosing the right approach is a team effort. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, symptoms, and preferences, then try methods that fit. Plans are adjusted as progress is made so the approach stays useful and manageable.

Online therapy offers flexibility and accessibility. Video calls allow face-to-face work and guided exercises. Phone sessions can be a lighter option when bandwidth is limited or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging make it possible to get brief support or continue work between longer appointments. These options help fit therapy into busy schedules and different lifestyles.

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Questions people ask

What concerns does she address?

She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, relationship issues, sleep problems, self-esteem, bipolar and coping with life changes among other concerns.

What is her therapeutic style?

Her style is collaborative and nonjudgmental, combining cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and trauma-focused methods to fit each person's needs.

What experience does she bring?

She has 23 years of clinical experience, including work in inpatient addiction and psychiatric settings and service as a Behavioral Health Officer in the Army National Guard.

Where is she licensed and based?

She holds AL LICSW and AR LCSW credentials and practices from a base in Arkansas.

Which languages are supported for sessions?

Sessions are offered in English and she also accepts international clients.

How are sessions delivered?

Therapy is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.

How does billing and cost work?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.

How do I start a first session?

Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to therapist availability.

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