Dr. Michelle Morrell

Are you tired of feeling anxious, unseen, or not quite enough? Do certain relationships in your life feel harder than they should — with a boss, a friend, a parent, a partner? So many of us find ourselves replaying the same painful patterns, wondering why connection feels so complicated, when the real story is much older than the relationship we're in now.

I'm Dr. Michelle Morrell, a clinical psychologist (Psy.D. from Adler University, with a pre-doctoral internship at the Hawai'i Psychological Internship Consortium, a post-doctoral fellowship at Hawai'i's Department of Health, and training through Rush Medical's NeuroBehavioral Center and the Family Institute at Northwestern University). I work exclusively with women, and I've built my practice around a simple belief: the patterns that shape our hardest relationships — whether with a partner, a parent, a friend, or a boss — usually started somewhere much earlier than the relationship in front of us. Helping women trace those patterns back and build something different is the work I care about most — healing the wound creating the pain, rather than simply bandaging the symptoms it causes.

My approach is relational, emphasizing collaboration, connection, and empowerment. It's also rooted in attachment theory: the understanding that our early bonds, and the roles we learned to play to stay connected within our families, shape how we relate to everyone in our lives. Healing doesn't have to be about labeling yourself — or anyone else — a victim or a villain. It's about gently tracing a painful pattern back to its roots, healing the wound underneath it, and building real self-trust from there. I primarily draw on attachment-based therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Family Systems work, tailoring the mix to what actually helps you — not a one-size-fits-all protocol.

Our first session is about getting to know each other. I'll ask about what's brought you in, the relationships that feel hardest right now, and a bit about your history — not to rush toward conclusions, but to start understanding your story. You won't need to have the "right" words or a tidy narrative. Therapy with me is warm, collaborative, and honest, and that starts from the very first conversation. My goal by the end of our first session is for you to feel heard, and to have a sense of where we might go together.