01 · Who Michelle works with

Michelle works with trauma and abuse, parenting issues and self esteem

Michelle lists 12 specialisms and 39 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Michelle chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Michelle's own words

What Michelle says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and have been licensed with the state of Texas for 20 plus years. I have had my own Private Practice for the past 20 years. My entire career has been focused on working with individuals and families as they work through significant life changes and challenges. My approach to therapy tends to be Client-Centered and Solution-Focused. This means you will play a very active part in directing the sessions and we will work together to set goals. Although I have extensive experience in working with children, teens and families, I feel working individually with adults and teens may be the best use of my skills on this platform.

Michelle Tarbell, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Michelle works

The 1 approach Michelle lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Michelle lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Michelle's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Michelle runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Michelle 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 Michelle's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   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 Michelle at this point.

2. Naming Michelle specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Michelle 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 Michelle.

3. If the caseload is full

   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.

4. The first conversation

   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.

5. If the fit is wrong

   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.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Michelle

Built from what Michelle actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Michelle's - Michelle has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 21 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.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMFT

Licensed in

Texas

Licence

TX LMFT 5125

Licence number

5125

Licence expires

30 Nov 2027

NPI

1003990375

Years in practice

21

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

9 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Michelle'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 Michelle. 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.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.