Michelle Fortier (she/her)

While some providers may run away from this problem, I run towards treating it! One of the best things I get to experience as a professional is when I get to teach someone how to reduce self-harming behaviors and get their needs met in a healthier way. I have years of experience treating this behavior with successful resolution of self-harming behaviors. There is a reason for self-harming and when we can discover why, we can discover what to do instead.

Prison is a unique experience and the people impacted deserve to have a provider who knows what changes happen to a person when they have gone through incarceration. Learning how to deprogram from the skills that helped you survive prison is important if you want to be successful in the free world. People who have a loved one who is involved in the criminal justice system also deserve a provider that knows that system and how to cope effectively.

I have experience and success in teaching people how to manage the negative behaviors associated with Antisocial and Borderline personality disorders so they can live a fuller life that also helps them reduce their harm to others. I keep up with the latest research and treatment for both disorders and utilize evidenced based approaches for treatment. It is an absolute myth that both disorders can't be treated. It takes more work but it is possible.

Sometimes we have a problems in life that we need to figure out how to address quickly. Solution Focused Brief Therapy is the answer. We identify a problem, figure out potential solutions and put those solutions into practice.

Tired of feelings of emptiness? Overwhelmed by frequent and out of control mood swings? Have difficulty controlling impulsive behaviors that lead to ruined relationships, financial or legal trouble? Can't stop self-harming? Often think of suicide? Can't seem to get past fears of being abandoned by the people in your life? DBT helps with all of that plus much, much more. It's very skill based and we follow the curriculum put together by Marsha Linehan. You deserve to have peace in your life.

CBT is what I call "the life problem solver". It's amazing how much can change when we start being able to identify and change our cognitive distortions. I generally utilize CBT when treating depression, adjustment issues and anxiety. I even use it for individuals experiencing psychotic disorders.

Sometimes people have a hard time saying what's on their mind either because they can't articulate it or because their brain works more in pictures than in words. Enter Sand Tray Therapy. A client is given a prompt based on what they are working on in therapy or by identifying something they want to work through. By choosing figurines and placing them in a sand tray world, a client can problem solve and learn more about themselves. It's pretty awesome.

Never in a million years could anyone have convinced me that looking at a stick would heal trauma and yet, here I am. I LOVE doing Brainspotting because it gives long term relief from emotional suffering. My clients both love and hate that stick-it brings up a lot of painful emotions while processing a memory but once processed, the pain associated with that memory is much, much less if not completely gone.