Practitioner record · Checked 9 Oct 2026
Dr. Elena Michaels has been in practice 31 years and is licensed in California. Dr. lists stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and self esteem among 21 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Dr.'s own BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a rating.
01 · Who Dr. works with
Dr. lists 5 specialisms and 16 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Dr. chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.
02 · In Dr.'s own words
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
I am a licensed psychotherapist in with over 31 years of experience and currently have my private practice in Santa Clarita, California. A few areas I work with are stress and anxiety, relationship issues, enhancing clear communication, motivation, self esteem and confidence, coping with life changes and more. I believe that you are the expert of your story and that you have many strengths that will assist you in overcoming things that challenge you...even if you feel you have "lost your way" temporarily. It takes courage to reach out, be vulnerable and find someone that may be able to help you create a more fulfilling and happy life and it takes courage and support to take the first steps towards making changes. I hope to help you become more of a master of your life, instead of a victim of circumstances. I am here to support & empower you, as well as guide you in that journey. I have a background in the entertainment business, am non-religious but have a spiritual approach. I am also a meditation teacher and life coach. I tend to be solution-focused, helping clients move forward to greater self empowerment. My sessions are phone sessions (no video). You can find out more about me at DrElena.com I look forward to working with you! Warm regards, Dr. Elena :)
Dr. Elena Michaels, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026
03 · What happens next
Dr. practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Dr.'s own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.
BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Dr. at this point.
BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Dr. is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Dr..
You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.
A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.
Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.
04 · Before you commit
Built from what Dr. actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Dr.'s - Dr. has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.
“With 31 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”
Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.
“How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”
On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.
05 · Practical details
06 · Provenance
Dr.'s name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.
The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.
Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Dr.. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.
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