Michelle Lesesne-De Santis

Michelle Lesesne-De Santis is a Florida licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 25 years of experience. She focuses on self-esteem, career concerns, coping with life changes, coaching, and compassion fatigue. She also works with issues such as body image, life purpose, midlife questions, and women's issues. Sessions are conducted in English and she does not work with international clients.

Michelle uses practical conversation to help people sort through what matters next. She combines Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and client-centered listening. That means she pays attention to what a person values, looks at unhelpful thinking patterns, and centers the client's perspective when planning next steps.

Her background includes long-term clinical work helping people regain confidence and handle transitions. She supports clients facing medical challenges like cancer or traumatic brain injury, and those recovering from disasters or events that left them isolated. She also helps people who are exhausted by compassion fatigue or who want clearer communication skills.

In sessions she offers coaching-style guidance alongside therapeutic methods. Conversations aim to be practical and direct, with exercises to try between meetings. She adapts plans as needs change and focuses on next steps that fit daily life.

To begin, prospective clients use the site's matching process to schedule a first session. Costs vary by location and are managed through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How her approaches translate to online work

Michelle often uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people identify what matters most and take small, value-driven actions. ACT focuses on noticing thoughts without getting stuck and moving toward chosen goals, which can help when someone feels aimless after a change.

She also employs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to spot patterns of thinking that get in the way. CBT breaks down unhelpful thoughts into workable steps and gives practical exercises to try between sessions. Client-Centered Therapy is another part of her approach, emphasizing the client's perspective and preferences when planning next steps.

Finding the right approach is part of the collaboration. She will work with each person to see which methods fit their needs, goals, and style, and adjust the plan over time. That means trying practical tools, reviewing what helps, and shifting strategies as needed.

The biography does not list specific online formats, so confirm session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time so regular sessions are easier to keep.